Estimating population size by recapture sampling via estimating function

Abstract

A class of capture-recapture estimators for population size is given via a martingale estimating function. Certain choices of a weight function lead to existing estimators and explicit expressions are possible for some estimators. An optimal estimator is obtained from the class of estimators. Simulations are performed to evaluate the proposed and existing estimators.

Keywords:

• Capture-recapture experiment
• Estimating function
• Weight function
• Zero mean martingale