Transfer systems and covariance under assortative mating.

This paper introduces the concept of a transfer system of random variables and uses it ot study various types of assortative mating. The standard correlation structure between relatives under phenotypic and genetic assortative mating are obtained easily and these results are then extended to multiple characters by means of multivariate transfer systems. Equilibrium values for the parameters are found and index assortative mating is considered with specific applications.