Publisher's Synopsis
My aim in writing this book has been to provide an introductory textbook of quantitative genetics, with the emphasis on general principles rather than on practical application, and one moreover that can be understood by biologists of no more than ordinary mathematical ability. In pursuit of this latter aim I have set out the mathematics in the form that I, being little of a mathematician, find most comprehensible, hoping that the consequent lack of rigour and elegance will be compensated for by a wider accessibility. The reader is not, however, asked to accept conclusions without proof. Though only the simplest algebra is used, all the mathematical deductions essential to the exposition of the subject are demonstrated in full. Some knowledge of statistics, however, is assumed, particularly of the analysis of variance and of correlation and regression. Elementary knowledge of Mendelian genetics is also assumed.
