Mathematical demography is the centerpiece of quantitative social science. The founding works of this field from Roman times to the late Twentieth Century are collected here, in a new edition of a classic work by David R. Smith and Nathan Keyfitz. Commentaries by Smith and Keyfitz have been brought up to date and extended by Kenneth Wachter and Hervé Le Bras, giving a synoptic picture of the leading achievements in formal population studies. Like the original collection, this new edition constitutes an indispensable source for students and scientists alike, and illustrates the deep roots and continuing vitality of mathematical demography.

Kenneth Wachter is Professor of Demography and Statistics at the University of California, Berkeley. Former chair of the Committee on Population of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, his work spans the range of mathematical demography and biodemography. Books include "Height, Health, and History" and "Between Zeus and the Salmon". Hervé Le Bras holds appointments at the School for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences and the National Institute for Demographic Studies in Paris. Along with contributions to mathematical demography and historical sociology, he is known for books such as "L'invention de la France", "Marianne et les lapins", "La planète au village", and "The Nature of Demography".