Instead of taking incremental steps in time, keeping track of X(t) at each time step as in the SSA method, the tau-leaping method leaps from one subinterval to the next, approximating how many transitions take place during a given subinterval. It is assumed that the value of the leap, τ, is small enough that there is no significant change in the value of the transition rates along the subinterval [t, t + τ]. This condition is known as the leap condition. The tau-leaping method thus has the advantage of simulating many transitions in one leap while not losing significant accuracy, resulting in a speed up in computational time.H.T. Banks, Anna Broido, Brandi Canter, Kaitlyn Gayvert,Shuhua Hu, Michele Joyner, Kathryn Link, Simulation Algorithms for Continuous Time Markov Chain Models, [online] available at http://www.ncsu.edu/crsc/reports/ftp/pdf/crsc-tr11-17.pdf
