PATSY HACCOU is Associate Professor of Mathematical Biology at the Institute of Biology, Leiden University. She is co-author of Statistical Analysis of Behavioural Data. PETER JAGERS is Professor of Mathematical Statistics at the Chalmers University of Technology and Gothenburg University. He is a member of the Swedish Academy of Sciences. He is author of Branching Processes with Biological Applications and co-editor of Classical and Modern Branching Processes. VLADIMIR VATUTIN is leading Researcher at the Steklov Mathematical Institute, Moscow, Russia. He is co-author of Probabilistic Methods in Physical Research.

'… the book should serve well, among other things, as an excellent introduction to applied probabilists looking for interesting and worthwhile applications.' Publication of the International Statistical Institute

• Authors; Acknowledgements; Notational standards; 1. Generalities; 2. Discrete-time branching processes; 3. Branching in continuous time; 4. Large populations; 5. Extinction; 6. Development of populations; 7. Specific models; Appendix; References; Index.