A note on the exact maximum likelihood estimation of the size of a finite and closed population

• Published in: Biometrika Vol. 75; no. 1; pp. 178 - 180
• Main Authors: LEITE, JOSÉ GALVÃO, OISHI, JORGE, DE BRAGANÇA PEREIRA, CARLOS ALBERTO
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-03-1988; Biometrika Trust
• Subjects: Capture-recapture sequential sampling process; Exact sciences and technology; Integers; Mathematics; Maximum likelihood estimate; Maximum likelihood estimation; Maximum likelihood estimators; Miscellanea; Population size; Probability and statistics; Sciences and techniques of general use; Sequential methods; Statistics; Sufficient statistic; Statistical estimation; Maximum likelihood; Sequential design; Sequential estimation
• ISSN: 0006-3444; 1464-3510
• DOI: 10.1093/biomet/75.1.178

Using data obtained by the general capture-recapture sequential sampling process, an analytical expression for the maximum likelihood estimate of the population size is introduced. It is shown that the bounded likelihood functions have at most two maxima. For the simple one-to-one case the estimate is unique.