The Jacobian matrix is used to linearise a nonlinear system of differential equations. Around the disease-free equilibrium, the linear system will have the same stability properties as the nonlinear system if it is hyperbolic; that is, if no eigenvalues have zero real part. In particular, if all eigenvalues have negative real part, then the equilibrium is stable, whereas if there is an eigenvalue with positive real part, the equilibrium is unstable.