The Poisson-Dirichlet distribution is an infinite dimensional probability distribution. It was introduced by Kingman over thirty years ago, and has found applications in a broad range of areas including Bayesian statistics, combinatorics, differential geometry, economics, number theory, physics, and population genetics. This monograph provides a comprehensive study of this distribution and some related topics, with particular emphasis on recent progresses in evolutionary dynamics and asymptotic behaviors. One central scheme is the unification of the Poisson-Dirichlet distribution, the urn structure, the coalescent, the evolutionary dynamics through the grand particle system of Donnelly and Kurtz. It is largely self-contained. The methods and techniques used in it appeal to researchers in a wide variety of subjects.
From the reviews:
"The intended audience of this book includes researchers and graduate students in probability, population genetics and statistics. Most material in the book is self-contained and should be accessible to anyone with a graduate level knowledge of probability theory. ... this book provides useful connections to mathematical population genetics and many advanced probabilistic applications." (Wenbo V. Li, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2012 c)
"The intended audience of this book includes researchers and graduate students in probability, population genetics and statistics. Most material in the book is self-contained and should be accessible to anyone with a graduate level knowledge of probability theory. ... this book provides useful connections to mathematical population genetics and many advanced probabilistic applications." (Wenbo V. Li, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2012 c)