Stochastic viability in an island model with partial dispersal: Approximation by a diffusion process in the limit of a large number of islands
The study models population evolution across many islands where viability coefficients are random. It shows that as the number of islands increases, a complex discrete-time process simplifies to a diffusion process. This allows researchers to calculate the probability of one type taking over another, revealing that selection favors the type with a higher population-scaled geometric mean.