Analysis of Discrete Stochastic Population Models with Normal Distribution

Abstract

This paper analyzes a stochastic logistic difference equation under the assumption that the population distribution follows a normal distribution. Our focus is on the mathematical relationship between the average growth rate and a newly introduced concept, the uniform structural growth rate, which captures how growth is influenced by the internal distributional structure of the population. We derive explicit relationships linking the uniform structural growth rate to the parameters of the normal distribution and the variance of a small stochastic perturbation. The analysis reveals the existence of two distinct branches of the uniform structural growth rate, corresponding to alternative population states characterized by higher and lower growth rates. This duality provides deeper insights into the dynamics of population growth under stochastic influences. A sufficient condition for the existence of two uniform structural growth rates is established and rigorously proved, demonstrating that there exist infeasible intervals where no uniform structural growth rate can be defined. We also explore the biological significance of these findings, emphasizing the role of stochastic perturbations and the distribution in shaping population dynamics.