Supercritical branching processes and the role of fluctuations under exponential population growth.
We study some exact properties of supercritical branching processes. A proper rescaling of the relevant variable allows us to determine the distribution of population sizes after a number of generations have elapsed. Both time-continuous and discrete processes are analysed and compared. The obtained results are of relevance for the growth of populations that are not resource limited (a typical situation in some biological processes that can be modelled by laboratory experiments). Large fluctuations inherent to the process play a main role when bottlenecks occur.
Manrubia
Susanna C
SC
Centro de Astrobiología INTA-CSIC, Ctra. de Ajalvir km. 4, E-28850 Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain. cuevasms@inta.es
Arribas
María
M
Lázaro
Ester
E
D000818:Animals; D003198:Computer Simulation; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012098:Reproduction; D013997:Time Factors