Multivariate birth-and-death processes as approximations to epidemic processes

1973 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Griffiths

This paper presents the theory of a multivariate birth-and-death process and its representation as a branching process. The bivariate linear birth-and-death process may be used as a model for various epidemic situations involving two types of infective. Various properties of the transient process are discussed and the distribution of epidemic size is investigated. For the case of a disease spread solely by carriers when the two types of infective are carriers and clinical infectives the large population version of a model proposed by Downton (1968) is further developed and shown under appropriate circumstances to closely approximate Downton's model.

1973 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. 15-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Griffiths

This paper presents the theory of a multivariate birth-and-death process and its representation as a branching process. The bivariate linear birth-and-death process may be used as a model for various epidemic situations involving two types of infective. Various properties of the transient process are discussed and the distribution of epidemic size is investigated. For the case of a disease spread solely by carriers when the two types of infective are carriers and clinical infectives the large population version of a model proposed by Downton (1968) is further developed and shown under appropriate circumstances to closely approximate Downton's model.


1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (03) ◽  
pp. 601-613
Author(s):  
K. Kämmerle ◽  
H.-J. Schuh

In this paper recent results by Weiner [10] on Mn := max{Z 0, · ··, Zn } are strengthened and generalized, where (Zn ) n is a critical Galton–Watson branching process with finite and positive offspring variance and Z 0 ≡ 1. It is shown that Explicit asymptotic bounds are given for with . If (Zn ) n has a linear fractional offspring distribution, it can be embedded in a critical birth and death process (Ẑ t ) t . Using martingale methods one obtains thereof. These results generalize to the case Z 0 ≡ k.


1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 601-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Kämmerle ◽  
H.-J. Schuh

In this paper recent results by Weiner [10] on Mn:= max{Z0, · ··, Zn} are strengthened and generalized, where (Zn)n is a critical Galton–Watson branching process with finite and positive offspring variance and Z0 ≡ 1. It is shown that Explicit asymptotic bounds are given for with . If (Zn)n has a linear fractional offspring distribution, it can be embedded in a critical birth and death process (Ẑ t)t. Using martingale methods one obtains thereof.These results generalize to the case Z0 ≡ k.


1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (04) ◽  
pp. 859-866
Author(s):  
A. J. Branford

A simple proof is given of the result that the ‘overflow' from a finite-state birth and death process is a renewal stream characterized by hyperexponential inter-event times. Our structure is utilized to give a converse result that any hyperexponential renewal stream can be so produced as the overflow from a finite-state birth and death process.


1982 ◽  
Vol 14 (03) ◽  
pp. 484-501
Author(s):  
S. K. Srinivasan ◽  
C. R. Ranganathan

This paper deals with the parity of individuals in an age-dependent birth and death process. A more general model with parity and age-dependent birth rates is also considered. The mean number of individuals with parity 0, 1, 2, ·· ·is obtained for the two models. The first moments of the total number of births in the population up to time t and the sum of the parities of the individuals existing at time t are obtained. A brief discussion on the parity of individuals in a population including ‘twins' is also given.


1981 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 19-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Cogburn ◽  
William C. Torrez

A generalization to continuous time is given for a discrete-time model of a birth and death process in a random environment. Some important properties of this process in the continuous-time setting are stated and proved including instability and extinction conditions, and when suitable absorbing barriers have been defined, methods are given for the calculation of extinction probabilities and the expected duration of the process.


1983 ◽  
Vol 15 (03) ◽  
pp. 507-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bordes ◽  
B. Roehner

We are interested in obtaining bounds for the spectrum of the infinite Jacobi matrix of a birth and death process or of any process (with nearest-neighbour interactions) defined by a similar Jacobi matrix. To this aim we use some results of Stieltjes theory for S-fractions, after reviewing them. We prove a general theorem giving a lower bound of the spectrum. The theorem also gives sufficient conditions for the spectrum to be discrete. The expression for the lower bound is then worked out explicitly for several, fairly general, classes of birth and death processes. A conjecture about the asymptotic behavior of a special class of birth and death processes is presented.


2002 ◽  
Vol 166 ◽  
pp. 93-115
Author(s):  
Kanji Ichihara

AbstractA birth and death process in a time-dependent random environment is introduced. We will discuss the recurrence and transience properties for the process.


1983 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Grasman ◽  
D. Ludwig

Asymptotic approximations and numerical computations are used to estimate the accuracy of the diffusion approximation for the expected time to extinction for some stochastic processes. The results differ for processes with a continuant transition matrix (e.g. a birth and death process), and those with a noncontinuant transition matrix (e.g. a non-linear branching process). In the latter case, the diffusion equation does not hold near the point of exit. Consequently, high-order corrections do not result in substantial improvement over the diffusion approximation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Klar ◽  
P. R. Parthasarathy ◽  
N. Henze

Birth and death processes are useful in a wide range of disciplines from computer networks and telecommunications to chemical kinetics and epidemiology. Data from many different areas such as linguistics, music, or warfare fit Zipf's law surprisingly well. The Lerch distribution generalizes Zipf's law and is applicable in survival and dispersal processes. In this article we construct a birth and death process that converges to the Lerch distribution in the limit as time becomes large, and we investigate the speed of convergence. This is achieved by employing continued fractions. Numerical illustrations are presented through tables and graphs.


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