Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-theoretical-physics-major-option-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2017/3/d/solution

With individuals, each of the can reproduce at rate and independently die at rate . Thus the total birth and death rates are . The gain into state comes from a birth in state and a death in state , while its loss rate is . Therefore
At , the birth inflow from negative states is absent and . The empty state is absorbing: once the population reaches zero, neither process can restart it. Equal birth and death rates make this a critical branching process.

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