Things that are really critical to understand

• What goes in the matrix, how it's constructed.

• Initial growth depends on the age structure of the population.

• All age classes eventually grow at the same rate
  • This asymptotic rate of growth is $\lambda_1$, the leading eigenvalue.

  • The proportional representation of each age class is given by $x_1$, the eigenvector associated with $\lambda_1$.

• Early reproduction contributes more to the population growth rate than late reproduction.