In the present exposition we are concerned only with the simple Galton-Watson process, initiated by a single ancestor (Harris (1963), Chapter I). Let denote the probability generating function of the offspring distribution of a single individual. Our fundamental assumption, which holds throughout the sequel, is that fj ≠ 1, j = 0,1,2, …; in particular circumstances it shall be necessary to strengthen this to 0 < f0 ≡ F(0) < 1, which is the relevant assumption when extinction behaviour is to be considered. (Even so, our assumptions will always differ slightly from those of Harris (1963), p. 5.)