Discrete-time dynamics of structured populations and homogeneous order-preserving operators (Q6536376)

This book integrates the theory of discrete-time dynamical systems with population dynamics applications, focusing on spatially structured models.\N\NThe book starts with an introduction providing a short overview of discrete-time population models, some results on persistence, the spectral radius of bounded homogeneous operators.\N\NThe first part of the book deals with the theoretical background including cones and ordered vector spaces, homogeneous operators and their spectral radii, order-bounded operators, eigenfunctionals etc. A key question in population dynamical models is about extinction and persistence of the population. For various types of population models, the spectral radius of a certain bounded linear positive operator serves as a threshold parameter for persistence. As presented in the book, in the case of discrete-time models of structured populations with two sexes, the spectral radius of an order-preserving homogeneous operator acts as a threshold between population extinction and persistence (in fact, as one may learn from the book, the theory of homogeneous operators is more easily applied in discrete-time models than in continuous-time models).\N\NThe second part deals with various population models including unstructured populations, a rank-structured population with mating, a model including two diffusing sexes and a short reproductive season, the nonlocal spatial spread of semelparous two-sex populations and populations with measure-valued structural distributions.\N\NThe author finishes with an appendix providing a summary of some necessary tools from real analysis.\N\NThe book will be an essential resource for researchers working on discrete dynamical systems with population dynamical applications.