Approximations to the Maximum Likelihood Estimate in Some Pure Birth Processes
针对一类出生过程（增长率等于参数λ乘以种群大小的已知函数），提出了两种简单的近似方法来估计参数λ，数据来自离散时间点的种群大小观测，并详细讨论了Yule过程。
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.