A Life Expectancy Study based on the Deterioration Function and an Application to Halley's Breslau Data

Abstract

Further to the proposal and application of a stochastic methodology and the resulting first exit time distribution function to life table data we introduce a theoretical framework for the estimation of the maximum deterioration age and to explore on how "vitality," according to Halley and Strehler and Mildvan, changes during the human lifetime. The mortality deceleration or mortality leveling-off is also explored. The effect of the deterioration over time is estimated as the expectation that an individual will survive from the deterioration caused in his organism by the deterioration mechanism. A method is proposed and the appropriate software was developed for the estimation of life expectancy. Several applications follow. The method was applied to the Halley life table data of Breslau. Extrapolations are done showing a gradual improvement of vitality mechanisms during last centuries.