Growth-Rate Estimation

The apparent mean individual growth rate is closer to true population growth than a homogeneous model based on average daughter doubling time. For asymmetry below about 45%, the common estimator underestimates true population growth by less than 1%. A common single-cell estimator averages individual growth rates across observed cells. Populations with two growth equilibria should not be summarized only by the mean individual growth rate. For bimodal single-cell doubling-time distributions, the article recommends inferring the two doubling times and solving the characteristic equation to estimate population growth.