Approximations to the maximum likelihood estimate in some pure birth processes

Abstract

We present two simple approximations, one an extension of that given by Choi & Severo (1988), to the maximum likelihood estimate of a parameter λ in the class of birth processes in which the growth rate is the product of λ and some known function of the population size. The data are population sizes taken at a discrete set of time points. The Yule process is discussed in some detail.