On the Ratio Between the Maximal and Total Numbers of Individuals in a Critical Branching Process in a Random Environment

Abstract

Let $\{\xi_n\}$ be a critical branching process in a random environment. Under some restrictions on the characteristics of the process, we show that the ratio of $\sum_{i=0}^n\xi_i$ to $\max_{0\leqq i\leqq n}\xi_i$, given $\{\xi_n>0\}$, converges in distribution as $n\to\infty$ to a random variable taking on values in $(1,+\infty)$.