A MATHEMATICAL THEORY OF THE GROWTH OF POPULATIONS OF THE FLOUR BEETLE,TRIBOLIUM CONFUSUM, DUV.

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Abstract
Biological data relative to the growth of populations of the Confused Flour Beetle, Tribolium confusum, Duv. have been examined mathematically, the individual insects being treated as moving or stationary particles amenable to the formulations of the kinetic theory of gases.Under certain simplified conditions, i.e., prior to the time of the first hatching of eggs, it was found possible to integrate the differential equations, obtaining curves showing substantial agreement with the biological data.Beyond this point, a function θ(t) enters, the form of which has not as yet been determined, though further work on this point will be carried out. Therefore, at present, only a cursory discussion of the use of the function, etc., is given.Such information as can be gained regarding the population growth in the later stages, without knowledge of the actual form of θ(t), is also given.