Replicator dynamics as the large population limit of a discrete moran process in the weak selection regime: A proof via eulerian specification

¹ Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche “G. L. Lagrange”, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, I-10129 Torino, Italy
² Dipartimento di Meccanica, Matematica e Management, Politecnico di Bari, Via E. Orabona 4, I-70125 Bari, Italy

^* Corresponding author: gianluca.orlando@poliba.it

Received: 22 January 2025
Accepted: 19 June 2025

Abstract

We study the large population limit of a multi-strategy discrete-time Moran process in the weak selection regime. We show that the replicator dynamics is interpreted as the large-population limit of the Moran process. This result is obtained by interpreting the discrete process in its Eulerian specification, proving a compactness result in the Wasserstein space of probability measures for the law of the proportions of strategies, and passing to the limit in the continuity equation that describes the evolution of the proportions.