Limit theorems for multitype continuous time Markov branching processes

Summary Let X(t)=(X ₁ (t), X ₂ (t), , X _t (t)) be a k-type (2k<) continuous time, supercritical, nonsingular, positively regular Markov branching process. Let M(t)=((m _ij (t))) be the mean matrix where m _ij (t)=E(X _j (t)¦X _r (0)= _ir for r=1, 2, , k) and write M(t)=exp(At). Let be an eigenvector of A corresponding to an eigenvalue . Assuming second moments this paper studies the limit behavior as t of the stochastic process . It is shown that i) if 2 Re >₁, then · X(t)e{–t¦ converges a.s. and in mean square to a random variable. ii) if 2 Re ₁ then · X(t)] f(v · X(t)) converges in law to a normal distribution where f(x)=(x) ^–1 if 2 Re <₁ and f(x)=(x log x)^–1 if 2 Re =₁, ₁ the largest real eigenvalue of A and v the corresponding right eigenvector.Research supported in part under contracts N0014-67-A-0112-0015 and NIH USPHS 10452 at Stanford University.