A pattern of population growth where the population size increases at a constant rate per unit time, resulting in increasingly rapid growth that produces a J-shaped curve when graphed. It occurs when resources are unlimited and environmental resistance is minimal.
From 'exponential' (Latin 'exponere' meaning 'to set forth') and 'growth' from Old English 'grōwan.' The mathematical concept was applied to population biology in the 18th century by Thomas Malthus.
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