Convergence of general branching processes and functionals thereof

1974 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 471-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Jagers

With each individual in a branching population associate a random function of the age. Count the population by the values of these functions. Different choices yield different processes. In the supercritical case a unified treatment of the asymptotics is possible for a wide class, including for example the number of individuals having some random age dependent property or integrals of branching processes. As an application, the demographic concept of average age at childbearing is given a rigorous interpretation.

1974 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 471-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Jagers

With each individual in a branching population associate a random function of the age. Count the population by the values of these functions. Different choices yield different processes. In the supercritical case a unified treatment of the asymptotics is possible for a wide class, including for example the number of individuals having some random age dependent property or integrals of branching processes. As an application, the demographic concept of average age at childbearing is given a rigorous interpretation.


1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-465
Author(s):  
D. I. Saunders

For the age-dependent branching process with arbitrary state space let M(x, t, A) be the expected number of individuals alive at time t with states in A given an initial individual at x. Subject to various conditions it is shown that M(x, t, A)e–at converges to a non-trivial limit where α is the Malthusian parameter (α = 0 for the critical case, and is negative in the subcritical case). The method of proof also yields rates of convergence.


1978 ◽  
Vol 10 (04) ◽  
pp. 744-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Edler

The general age-dependent branching model of Crump, Mode and Jagers will be generalized towards generation-dependent varying lifespan and reproduction distributions. A system of integral and renewal equations is established for the generating functions and the first two moments of Zi (t) (the number of individuals alive at time t), if the population was initiated at time 0 by one ancestor of age 0 from generation i. Convergence in quadratic mean of Zi (t)/EZi (t) as t tends to infinity is obtained if the generation-dependent reproduction functions converge to a supercritical one. In particular, if this convergence is slow enough t γ exp (αt) is the asymptotic behavior of EZi (t) for t tending to infinity, where γ is a positive real number and α the Malthusian parameter of growth of the limiting reproduction function.


1972 ◽  
Vol 9 (04) ◽  
pp. 707-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Doney

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].


1973 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 739-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Brockwell ◽  
W. H. Kuo

A supercritical age-dependent branching process is considered in which the lifespan of each individual is composed of four phases whose durations have joint probability density f(x1, x2, x3, x4). Starting with a single individual of age zero at time zero we consider the asymptotic behaviour as t→ ∞ of the random variable Z(4) (a0,…, an, t) defined as the number of individuals in phase 4 at time t for which the elapsed phase durations Y01,…, Y04,…, Yi1,…, Yi4,…, Yn4 of the individual itself and its first n ancestors satisfy the inequalities Yij ≦ aij, i = 0,…, n, j = 1,…, 4. The application of the results to the analysis of cell-labelling experiments is described. Finally we state an analogous result which defines (conditional on eventual non-extinction of the population) the asymptotic joint distribution of the phase and elapsed phase durations of an individual drawn at random from the population and the phase durations of its ancestors.


1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Doney

We consider a p-type general age-dependent branching process (g.a.d.b.p) in which each individual lives a random length of time and at random times during its life and possibly after its death gives birth to offspring. If this process starts with one individual of type i then it turns out that the number of individuals of type i alive at time t forms a one-type g.a.d.b.p. This fact is exploited to establish a NASC for a properly normalized, supercritical p-type g.a.d.b.p. to have a limiting distribution which is not degenerate at zero.


1972 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 707-724 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Doney

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].


1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (03) ◽  
pp. 455-465
Author(s):  
D. I. Saunders

For the age-dependent branching process with arbitrary state space let M(x, t, A) be the expected number of individuals alive at time t with states in A given an initial individual at x. Subject to various conditions it is shown that M(x, t, A)e–at converges to a non-trivial limit where α is the Malthusian parameter (α = 0 for the critical case, and is negative in the subcritical case). The method of proof also yields rates of convergence.


1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (02) ◽  
pp. 239-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Doney

We consider a p-type general age-dependent branching process (g.a.d.b.p) in which each individual lives a random length of time and at random times during its life and possibly after its death gives birth to offspring. If this process starts with one individual of type i then it turns out that the number of individuals of type i alive at time t forms a one-type g.a.d.b.p. This fact is exploited to establish a NASC for a properly normalized, supercritical p-type g.a.d.b.p. to have a limiting distribution which is not degenerate at zero.


1973 ◽  
Vol 10 (04) ◽  
pp. 739-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Brockwell ◽  
W. H. Kuo

A supercritical age-dependent branching process is considered in which the lifespan of each individual is composed of four phases whose durations have joint probability density f(x 1, x 2, x 3, x 4). Starting with a single individual of age zero at time zero we consider the asymptotic behaviour as t→ ∞ of the random variable Z (4) (a 0,…, a n , t) defined as the number of individuals in phase 4 at time t for which the elapsed phase durations Y 01,…, Y 04,…, Yi 1,…, Yi 4,…, Yn 4 of the individual itself and its first n ancestors satisfy the inequalities Yij ≦ aij , i = 0,…, n, j = 1,…, 4. The application of the results to the analysis of cell-labelling experiments is described. Finally we state an analogous result which defines (conditional on eventual non-extinction of the population) the asymptotic joint distribution of the phase and elapsed phase durations of an individual drawn at random from the population and the phase durations of its ancestors.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document