title: Multidelayed random walks: theory and application to the neolithic transition in Europe.
abstract: We present a model in which particles (or individuals of a biological population) disperse with a rest time between consecutive motions (or migrations) which may take several possible values from a discrete set. Particles (or individuals) may also react (or reproduce). We derive a new equation for the effective rest time T of the random walk. Application to the neolithic transition in Europe makes it possible to derive more realistic theoretical values for its wavefront speed than those following from the single-delayed framework presented previously [J. Fort and V. Méndez, Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 867 (1999)]. The new results are consistent with the archaeological observations of this important historical process.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Física, Universitat de Girona, Campus de Montilivi, 17071 Girona, Catalonia, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fort
authors.forename: Debnarayan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jana
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Humet
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004058:Diffusion; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000266:history*; D005060:Europe; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009068:Movement; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011158:Population Growth; D043762:Reproductive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D016008:Statistical Distributions; D013997:Time Factors