A reinforcement-depletion urn model: A contiguity case (Q1084745)

An urn contains balls of S different colors. At the first stage (or cycle) each color receives a reinforcement (possibly zero) and any number of balls can be randomly removed. The process is repeated through m cycles. What is the distribution of each color balls? The factorial moment generating function of the general case involves the multivariate finite difference calculus and depends on \(mS+m+S\) parameters. The aim of the paper is to describe a model for balls of two colors for which the exact probability generating function for one color can be found in closed form. This function is of hypergeometric form. This special model is derived from the general case by setting up a dependency between the reinforcement and depletions, one of which is assumed to be functionally defined. In the paper, an application concerning the uptake of radioiodine by human subjects at different ages is given. In the general case the problem has been considered by \textit{S. R. Bernard} [Bull. Math. Biol. 39, 463-470 (1977; Zbl 0381.60070)] and the author [ibid. 43, 327-340 (1981; Zbl 0455.60016) and ibid. 45, 1-9 (1983; Zbl 0505.60016)].