Gompertz Model
The Gompertz model is a type of population growth model that describes slow initial growth, faster growth in the middle, and then a gradual slowdown as the population approaches its upper limit, known as the carrying capacity K. It is expressed as:
In this model, the growth rate decreases exponentially over time. At the beginning, the population grows very slowly because the number of individuals is small. Growth becomes fastest around the middle of the curve, after which it slows down more smoothly than in the logistic model. This produces an asymmetric S-shaped curve, where the population increases rapidly but reaches the carrying capacity very gradually. The Gompertz model is commonly used to describe the growth of tumors, bacteria, and some animal populations where early growth is restrained but later growth accelerates.