Capture-recapture method - GCSE Maths Definition

The capture-recapture method is a statistical technique used to estimate the size of a population, often applied in ecological studies and useful for students studying GCSE Maths. The process involves capturing a sample of the population, marking or tagging these individuals, and then releasing them back into the environment. After allowing some time for the marked individuals to mix back into the population, a second sample is captured. By comparing the number of marked individuals in this second sample to the total number captured, students can use proportions to estimate the total population size. This method helps illustrate practical applications of ratios and proportions in real-world scenarios.