A limit theorem for a class of supercritical branching processes

1972 ◽  
Vol 9 (04) ◽  
pp. 707-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Doney
Keyword(s):  
General Class ◽  
Branching Process ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Generating Functional ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Supercritical Case ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Watson Process ◽  
Supercritical Branching Processes ◽  
Convergence In Mean

In the Bellman-Harris (B-H) age-dependent branching process, the birth of a child can occur only at the time of its parent's death. A general class of branching process in which births can occur throughout the lifetime of a parent has been introduced by Crump and Mode. This class shares with the B-H process the property that the generation sizes {ξn } form a Galton-Watson process, and so may be classified into subcritical, critical or supercritical according to the value of m = E{ξ 1}. Crump and Mode showed that, as regards extinction probability, asymptotic behaviour, and for the supercritical case, convergence in mean square of Z(t)/E[Z(t)], as t → ∞, where Z(t) is the population size at time t given one ancestor at t = 0, properties of the B-H process can be extended to this general class. In this paper conditions are found for the convergence in distribution of Z(t)/E{Z(t)} in the supercritical case to a non-degenerate limit distribution. In contrast to the B-H process, these conditions are not the same as those for ξn /mn to have a non-degenerate limit. An integral equation is established for the generating function of Z(t), which is more complicated than the corresponding one for the B-H process and involves the conditional probability generating functional of N(x), x 0, ≧ the number of children born to an individual in the age interval [0, x].

A limit theorem for a class of supercritical branching processes

1972 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 707-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Doney
Keyword(s):  
General Class ◽  
Branching Process ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Generating Functional ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Supercritical Case ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Watson Process ◽  
Supercritical Branching Processes ◽  
Convergence In Mean

In the Bellman-Harris (B-H) age-dependent branching process, the birth of a child can occur only at the time of its parent's death. A general class of branching process in which births can occur throughout the lifetime of a parent has been introduced by Crump and Mode. This class shares with the B-H process the property that the generation sizes {ξn} form a Galton-Watson process, and so may be classified into subcritical, critical or supercritical according to the value of m = E{ξ1}. Crump and Mode showed that, as regards extinction probability, asymptotic behaviour, and for the supercritical case, convergence in mean square of Z(t)/E[Z(t)], as t → ∞, where Z(t) is the population size at time t given one ancestor at t = 0, properties of the B-H process can be extended to this general class. In this paper conditions are found for the convergence in distribution of Z(t)/E{Z(t)} in the supercritical case to a non-degenerate limit distribution. In contrast to the B-H process, these conditions are not the same as those for ξn/mn to have a non-degenerate limit. An integral equation is established for the generating function of Z(t), which is more complicated than the corresponding one for the B-H process and involves the conditional probability generating functional of N(x), x 0, ≧ the number of children born to an individual in the age interval [0, x].

A note on a functional equation arising in Galton-Watson branching processes

1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 589-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna B. Athreya
Keyword(s):  
Functional Equation ◽  
Continuous Function ◽  
Generating Function ◽  
Branching Process ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Probability Generating Function ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Watson Process ◽  
Natural Way

The functional equation ϕ(mu) = h(ϕ(u)) where is a probability generating function with 1 < m = h'(1 –) < ∞ and where F(t) is a non-decreasing right continuous function with F(0 –) = 0, F(0 +) < 1 and F(+ ∞) = 1 arises in a Galton-Watson process in a natural way. We prove here that for any if and only if This unifies several results in the literature on the supercritical Galton-Watson process. We generalize this to an age dependent branching process case as well.

A note on a functional equation arising in Galton-Watson branching processes

1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (03) ◽  
pp. 589-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna B. Athreya
Keyword(s):  
Functional Equation ◽  
Continuous Function ◽  
Generating Function ◽  
Branching Process ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Probability Generating Function ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Watson Process ◽  
Natural Way

The functional equation ϕ(mu) = h(ϕ(u)) where is a probability generating function with 1 &lt; m = h'(1 –) &lt; ∞ and where F(t) is a non-decreasing right continuous function with F(0 –) = 0, F(0 +) &lt; 1 and F(+ ∞) = 1 arises in a Galton-Watson process in a natural way. We prove here that for any if and only if This unifies several results in the literature on the supercritical Galton-Watson process. We generalize this to an age dependent branching process case as well.

On a functional equation for general branching processes

1973 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 198-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Doney
Keyword(s):  
Functional Equation ◽  
Integral Equation ◽  
Population Size ◽  
General Class ◽  
Branching Process ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Random Variable ◽  
Slow Variation ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Class Of Functions

If Z(t) denotes the population size in a Bellman-Harris age-dependent branching process such that a non-denenerate random variable W, then it is known that E(W) = 1 and that ϕ (u) = E(e–uW) satisfies a well-known integral equation. In this situation Athreya [1] has recently found a NASC for E(W |log W| y) <∞, for γ > 0. This paper generalizes Athreya's results in two directions. Firstly a more general class of branching processes is considered; secondly conditions are found for E(W 1 + βL(W)) < ∞ for 0 β < 1, where L is one of a class of functions of slow variation.

Supercritical branching processes with density independent catastrophes

1988 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 413-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Grey
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Time ◽  
Branching Process ◽  
Transition Probabilities ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Constant Rate ◽  
Watson Process ◽  
Stationary Transition ◽  
Supercritical Branching Processes ◽  
Independent Identically Distributed ◽  
Independent Poisson Process

A Markov branching process in either discrete time (the Galton–Watson process) or continuous time is modified by the introduction of a process of catastrophes which remove some individuals (and, by implication, their descendants) from the population. The catastrophe process is independent of the reproduction mechanism and takes the form of a sequence of independent identically distributed non-negative integer-valued random variables. In the continuous time case, these catastrophes occur at the points of an independent Poisson process with constant rate. If at any time the size of a catastrophe is at least the current population size, then the population becomes extinct. Thus in both discrete and continuous time we still have a Markov chain with stationary transition probabilities and an absorbing state at zero. Some authors use the term ‘emigration’ as an alternative to ‘catastrophe’.

Mean-square and almost-sure convergence of supercritical age-dependent branching processes

1974 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. 678-686
Author(s):  
Edgar Z. Ganuza ◽  
S. D. Durham
Keyword(s):  
Branching Process ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Almost Sure Convergence ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Malthusian Parameter ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Mean Square Convergence ◽  
Watson Process ◽  
Successive Generations

Letting Z(t) be the number of objects alive at time t in a general supercritical age-dependent branching process generated by a single ancestor born at time 0, one achieves (Theorem 1) mean-square convergence of Z(t)/E[Z(t)] provided and , where N(t) is the number of offspring of the initial ancestor born by time t and α is the (positive) Malthusian parameter defined by . If the stronger conditions that (Theorem 2) and hold also, then the convergence is almost-sure. It is of interest that the embedded Galton-Watson process of successive generations need not have a finite mean for the conditions of the above theorems to hold. Similar results are obtained for the age-distribution as well.

Mean-square and almost-sure convergence of supercritical age-dependent branching processes

1974 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 678-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Z. Ganuza ◽  
S. D. Durham
Keyword(s):  
Branching Process ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Age Distribution ◽  
Almost Sure Convergence ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Malthusian Parameter ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Mean Square Convergence ◽  
Watson Process ◽  
Successive Generations

Letting Z(t) be the number of objects alive at time t in a general supercritical age-dependent branching process generated by a single ancestor born at time 0, one achieves (Theorem 1) mean-square convergence of Z(t)/E[Z(t)] provided and , where N(t) is the number of offspring of the initial ancestor born by time t and α is the (positive) Malthusian parameter defined by . If the stronger conditions that (Theorem 2) and hold also, then the convergence is almost-sure. It is of interest that the embedded Galton-Watson process of successive generations need not have a finite mean for the conditions of the above theorems to hold. Similar results are obtained for the age-distribution as well.

On a functional equation for general branching processes

1973 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 198-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Doney
Keyword(s):  
Functional Equation ◽  
Integral Equation ◽  
Population Size ◽  
General Class ◽  
Branching Process ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Random Variable ◽  
Slow Variation ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Class Of Functions

If Z(t) denotes the population size in a Bellman-Harris age-dependent branching process such that a non-denenerate random variable W, then it is known that E(W) = 1 and that ϕ (u) = E(e–uW ) satisfies a well-known integral equation. In this situation Athreya [1] has recently found a NASC for E(W |log W| y ) &lt;∞, for γ &gt; 0. This paper generalizes Athreya's results in two directions. Firstly a more general class of branching processes is considered; secondly conditions are found for E(W 1 + βL(W)) &lt; ∞ for 0 β &lt; 1, where L is one of a class of functions of slow variation.

The asymptotic shape of the branching random walk

1978 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Biggins
Keyword(s):  
Random Walk ◽  
Explicit Formula ◽  
Branching Process ◽  
Analogous Result ◽  
Convex Set ◽  
Branching Random Walk ◽  
Asymptotic Shape ◽  
Age Dependent ◽  
Watson Process

In a supercritical branching random walk on Rp, a Galton–Watson process with the additional feature that people have positions, let be the set of positions of the nth-generation people, scaled by the factor n–1. It is shown that when the process survives looks like a convex set for large n. An analogous result is established for an age-dependent branching process in which people also have positions. In certain cases an explicit formula for the asymptotic shape is given.

On the convergence of the supercritical branching processes with immigration

1977 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Cohn
Keyword(s):  
Distribution Function ◽  
Limit Distribution ◽  
Branching Process ◽  
Branching Processes ◽  
Sufficient Condition ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient Condition ◽  
Limit Distribution Function ◽  
Branching Process With Immigration ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient ◽  
Supercritical Branching Processes

It is shown for a supercritical branching process with immigration that if the log moment of the immigration distribution is infinite, then no sequence of positive constants {cn} exists such that {Xn/cn} converges in law to a proper limit distribution function F, except for the case F(0 +) = 1. Seneta's result [1] combined with the above-mentioned one imply that if 1 < m < ∞ then the finiteness of the log moment of the immigration distribution is a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of some constants {cn} such that {Xn/cn} converges in law to a proper limit distribution function F, with F(0 +) < 1.

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