Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 July 2016
For each N≧1, let {XN(t, x), t≧0} be a discrete-time stochastic process with XN(0) = x. Let FN(y) = E(XN(t + 1) | XN(t) = y), and define YN(t, x) = FN(YN(t – 1, x)), t≧1 and YN(0, x) = x. Assume that in a neighborhood of the origin FN(y) = mNy(l + O(y)) where mN> 1, and define for δ> 0 and x> 0, υN(δ, x) = inf{t:xmtN>δ}. Conditions are given under which, for θ> 0 and ε> 0, there exist constants δ > 0 and L <∞, depending on εand 0, such that This result together with a result of Kurtz (1970), (1971) shows that, under appropriate conditions, the time needed for the stochastic process {XN(t, 1/N), t≧0} to escape a δ -neighborhood of the origin is of order log Νδ /log mN. To illustrate the results the Wright-Fisher model with selection is considered.