[PAS] Probability Abstracts 108

Probability Abstract Service pas at lists.imstat.org
Tue Mar 3 02:14:14 CST 2009


Probability Abstracts 108
This document contains abstracts 7954-8212
from Jan-1-2009 to February-28-2009.
They have been mailed on Mar 3, 2009.


This letter can be also found on line at
http://pas.imstat.org/Letters/letter_108.shtml


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7954. Regularity of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes driven by a L{\'e}vy  
white noise
Author(s): Zdzis{\l}aw Brze{\'z}niak and Jerzy Zabczyk

Abstract: The paper is concerned with spatial and time regularity of  
solutions to linear stochastic evolution equation perturbed by L\'evy  
white noise "obtained by subordination of a Gaussian white noise".  
Sufficient conditions for spatial continuity are derived. It is also  
shown that solutions do not have in general \cadlag modifications.  
General results are applied to equations with fractional Laplacian.  
Applications to Burgers stochastic equations are considered as well.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0028


7955. Weak Solutions of the Stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert Equation
Author(s): Z. Brzezniak and B. Goldys

Abstract: The Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation perturbed by a  
multiplicative space-dependent noise is considered for a ferromagnet  
filling a bounded three-dimensional domain. We show the existence of  
weak martingale solutions taking values in a sphere $\mathbb S^2$. The  
regularity of weak solutions is also discussed. Some of the regularity  
results are new even for the deterministic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert  
equation.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0039


7956. Conditions for certain ruin for the generalised Ornstein- 
Uhlenbeck process and the structure of the upper and lower bounds
Author(s): Damien Bankovsky

Abstract: For a bivariate \Levy process $(\xi_t,\eta_t)_{t\geq 0}$ the  
generalised Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (GOU) process is defined as \ 
[V_t:=e^{\xi_t}(z+\int_0^t e^{-\xi_{s-}}\ud \eta_s), t\ge0,\]where $z 
\in\mathbb{R}.$ We present conditions on the characteristic triplet of  
$(\xi,\eta)$ which ensure certain ruin for the GOU. We present a  
detailed analysis on the structure of the upper and lower bounds and  
the sets of values on which the GOU is almost surely increasing, or  
decreasing. This paper is the sequel to \cite{BankovskySly08}, which  
stated conditions for zero probability of ruin, and completes a  
significant aspect of the study of the GOU.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0207


7957. Current and density fluctuations for interacting particle  
systems with anomalous diffusive behavior
Author(s): M. Jara

Abstract: We prove density and current fluctuations for two examples  
of symmetric, interacting particle systems with anomalous diffusive  
behavior: the zero-range process with long jumps and the zero-range  
process with degenerated bond disorder. As an application, we obtain  
subdiffusive behavior of a tagged particle in a simple exclusion  
process with variable diffusion coefficient.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0229


7958. Order-invariant Measures on Causal Sets
Author(s): Graham Brightwell and Malwina Luczak

Abstract: A causal set is a partially ordered set on a countably  
infinite ground-set such that each element is above finitely many  
others. A natural extension of a causal set is an enumeration of its  
elements which respects the order. We bring together two different  
classes of random processes. In one class, we are given a fixed causal  
set, and we consider random natural extensions of this causal set: we  
think of the random enumeration as being generated one point at a  
time. In the other class of processes, we generate a random causal  
set, again working from the bottom up, adding one new maximal element  
at each stage. Processes of both types can exhibit a property called  
order-invariance: if we stop the process after some fixed number of  
steps, then, conditioned on the structure of the causal set, every  
possible order of generation of its elements is equally likely. We  
develop a framework for the study of order-invariance which includes  
both types of example: order-invariance is then a property of  
probability measures on a certain space. Our main result is a  
description of the extremal order-invariant measures.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0240


7959. Spatial Epidemics and Local Times for Critical Branching Random  
Walks in Dimensions 2 and 3
Author(s): Steven P. Lalley and Xinghua Zheng

Abstract: The behavior at criticality of spatial SIR (susceptible/ 
infected/recovered) epidemic models in dimensions two and three is  
investigated. In these models, finite populations of size N are  
situated at the vertices of the integer lattice, and infectious  
contacts are limited to individuals at the same or at neighboring  
sites. Susceptible individuals, once infected, remain contagious for  
one unit of time and then recover, after which they are immune to  
further infection. It is shown that the measure-valued processes  
associated with these epidemics, suitably scaled, converge, in the  
large-N limit, either to a standard Dawson-Watanabe process (super- 
Brownian motion) or to a Dawson-Watanabe process with location- 
dependent killing, depending on the size of the the initially infected  
set. A key element of the argument is a proof of Adler's 1993  
conjecture that the local time processes associated with branching  
random walks converge to the local time density process associated  
with the limiting super-Brownian motion.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0246


7960. Representation of gaussian small ball probabilities in $l_2$
Author(s): Andr\'e Mas (I3M)

Abstract: Let $z=\sum_{i=1}^{+\infty}x_{i}^{2}/a_{i}^{2}$ where the  
$x_{i}$'s are i.d.d centered with unit variance gaussian random  
variables and $(a_{i}) _{i\in\mathbb{N}}$ an increasing sequence such  
that $\sum _{i=1}^{+\infty}a_{i}^{-2}<+\infty$. We propose an  
exponential-integral representation theorem for the gaussian small  
ball probability $\mathbb{P}% (z<\varepsilon) $ when $\varepsilon 
\downarrow0$. We start from a result by Meyer-Wolf, Zeitouni (1993)  
and Dembo, Meyer-Wolf, Zeitouni (1995) who computed this probability  
by means of series. We prove that $\mathbb{P}% (z<\varepsilon) $  
belongs to a class of functions introduced by de Haan, well-known in  
extreme value theory, the class Gamma, for which an explicit  
exponential-integral representation is available. The converse  
implication holds under a mild additional assumption. Some  
applications are underlined in connection with statistical inference  
for random functions.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0264


7961. Adjustment coefficient for risk processes in some dependent  
contexts
Author(s): H. Cossette and E. Marceau and V. Maume-Deschamps

Abstract: Following an article by Muller and Pflug, we study the  
adjustment coefficient of ruin theory in a context of temporal  
dependency. We provide a consistent estimator of this coefficient, and  
perform some simulations.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0182


7962. Maximum Entropy on Compact Groups
Author(s): Peter Harremoes

Abstract: On a compact group the Haar probability measure plays the  
role as uniform distribution. The entropy and rate distortion theory  
for this uniform distribution is studied. New results and simplified  
proofs on convergence of convolutions on compact groups are presented  
and they can be formulated as entropy increases to its maximum.  
Information theoretic techniques and Markov chains play a crucial  
role. The rate of convergence is shown to be exponential. The results  
are also formulated via rate distortion functions.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0015


7963. p-Adic Spherical Coordinates and Their Applications
Author(s): Anatoly N. Kochubei

Abstract: On the space $\mathbb Q_p^n$, where $p\ne 2$ and $p$ does  
not divide $n$, we construct a p-adic counterpart of spherical  
coordinates. As applications, a description of homogeneous  
distributions on $\mathbb Q_p^n$ and a skew product decomposition of p- 
adic L\'evy processes are given.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0071


7964. Order-invariant Measures on Fixed Causal Sets
Author(s): Graham Brightwell and Malwina Luczak

Abstract: A causal set is a countably infinite poset in which every  
element is above finitely many others; causal sets are exactly the  
posets that have a linear extension with the order-type of the natural  
numbers -- we call such a linear extension a {\em natural extension}.  
We study probability measures on the set of natural extensions of a  
causal set, especially those measures having the property of {\em  
order-invariance}: if we condition on the set of the bottom $k$  
elements of the natural extension, each possible ordering among these  
$k$ elements is equally likely. We give sufficient conditions for the  
existence and uniqueness of an order-invariant measure on the set of  
natural extensions of a causal set.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0242


7965. Beta Jacobi processes
Author(s): Nizar Demni

Abstract: We define and study a multidimensional process that  
generalizes the eigenvalues of matrix Jacobi processes on the one hand  
and whose stationary distribution is given by the beta Jacobi ensemble  
on the other hand.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0324


7966. Stein's lemma, Malliavin calculus, and tail bounds, with  
application to polymer fluctuation exponent
Author(s): Frederi G. Viens

Abstract: We consider a random variable X satisfying almost-sure  
conditions involving G:= where DX is X's Malliavin derivative and  
L^{-1} is the inverse Ornstein-Uhlenbeck operator. A lower- (resp.  
upper-) bound condition on G is proved to imply a Gaussian-type lower  
(resp. upper) bound on the tail P[X>z]. Bounds of other natures are  
also given. A key ingredient is the use of Stein's lemma, including  
the explicit form of the solution of Stein's equation relative to the  
function 1_{x>z}, and its relation to G. Another set of comparable  
results is established, without the use of Stein's lemma, using  
instead a formula for the density of a random variable based on G,  
recently devised by the author and Ivan Nourdin. As an application,  
via a Mehler-type formula for G, we show that the Brownian polymer in  
a Gaussian environment which is white-noise in time and positively  
correlated in space has deviations of Gaussian type and a fluctuation  
exponent \chi=1/2. We also show this exponent remains 1/2 after a non- 
linear transformation of the polymer's Hamiltonian.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0383


7967. General discrete random walk with variable absorbing probabilities
Author(s): Theo van Uem

Abstract: We obtain expected number of arrivals, probability of  
arrival, absorption probabilities and expected time before absorption  
for a general discrete random walk with variable absorbing  
probabilities on a finite interval using Fibonacci numbers

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0469


7968. Random Current Representation for Transverse Field Ising Models
Author(s): Nicholas Crawford and Dmitry Ioffe

Abstract: Recently, a random current representation for transverse  
field Ising models has been introduced in \cite{ILN}. This  
representation is a space-time version of the classical random current  
representation exploited by Aizenman et. al. %It is a space-time  
version of the classical random current representation \cite{Ai82,  
ABF, AF}. In this paper we formulate and prove corresponding space- 
time versions of the classical switching lemma and show how they  
generate various correlation inequalities. In particular we prove  
exponential decay of truncated two-point functions at positive  
magnetic fields in $\sfz$-direction and address the issue of the  
sharpness of phase transition.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0812.4834


7969. Invariant manifolds for random and stochastic partial  
differential equations
Author(s): Tomas Caraballo and Jinqiao Duan and Kening Lu and Bjorn  
Schmalfuss

Abstract: Random invariant manifolds are geometric objects useful for  
understanding complex dynamics under stochastic influences. Under a  
nonuniform hyperbolicity or a nonuniform exponential dichotomy  
condition, the existence of random pseudo-stable and pseudo-unstable  
manifolds for a class of \emph{random} partial differential equations  
and \emph{stochastic} partial differential equations is shown. Unlike  
the invariant manifold theory for stochastic \emph{ordinary}  
differential equations, random norms are not used. The result is then  
applied to a nonlinear stochastic partial differential equation with  
linear multiplicative noise.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0382


7970. An upper bound for front propagation velocities inside moving  
populations
Author(s): A. Gaudilliere and F.R. Nardi

Abstract: We consider a two type (red and blue or $R$ and $B$)  
particle population that evolves on the $d$-dimensional lattice  
according to some reaction-diffusion process $R+B\to 2R$ and starts  
with a single red particle and a density $\rho$ of blue particles. For  
two classes of models we give an upper bound on the propagation  
velocity of the red particles front with explicit dependence on $\rho 
$. In the first class of models red and blue particles respectively  
evolve with a diffusion constant $D_R=1$ and a possibly time dependent  
jump rate $D_B \geq 0$ -- more generally blue particles follow some  
independent bistochastic process and this also includes long range  
random walks with drift and various deterministic processes. We then  
get in all dimensions an upper bound of order $\max(\rho,\sqrt\rho)$  
that depends only on $\rho$ and $d$ and not on the specific process  
followed by blue particles, in particular that does not depend on $D_B 
$. We argue that for $d \geq 2$ or $\rho \geq 1$ this bound can be  
optimal (in $\rho$), while for the simplest case with $d=1$ and $\rho  
< 1$ known as the frog model, we give a better bound of order $\rho$.  
In the second class of models particles evolve with exclusion and  
possibly attraction inside a large two-dimensional box with periodic  
boundary conditions according to Kawasaki dynamics (that turns into  
simple exclusion when the attraction is set to zero.) In a low density  
regime we then get an upper bound of order $\sqrt\rho$. This proves a  
long-range decorrelation of dynamical events in this low density regime.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0586


7971. A unifying formulation of the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation  
for general stochastic hybrid systems (extended version)
Author(s): Julien Bect

Abstract: A general formulation of the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov (FPK)  
equation for stochastic hybrid systems is presented, within the  
framework of Generalized Stochastic Hybrid Systems (GSHS). The FPK  
equation describes the time evolution of the probability law of the  
hybrid state. Our derivation is based on the concept of mean jump  
intensity, which is related to both the usual stochastic intensity (in  
the case of spontaneous jumps) and the notion of probability current  
(in the case of forced jumps). This work unifies all previously known  
instances of the FPK equation for stochastic hybrid systems, and  
provides GSHS practitioners with a tool to derive the correct  
evolution equation for the probability law of the state in any given  
example.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0615


7972. Infinite rate mutually catalytic branching in infinitely many  
colonies. Construction, characterization and convergence
Author(s): Achim Klenke and Leonid Mytnik

Abstract: We construct a mutually catalytic branching process on a  
countable site space with infinite "branching rate". The finite rate  
mutually catalytic model, in which the rate of branching of one  
population at a site is proportional to the mass of the other  
population at that site, was introduced by Dawson and Perkins in  
[DP98]. We show that our model is the limit for a class of models and  
in particular for the Dawson- Perkins model as the rate of branching  
goes to infinity. Our process is characterized as the unique solution  
to a martingale problem. We also give a characterization of the  
process as a weak solution of an infinite system of stochastic  
integral equations driven by a Poisson noise.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0623


7973. On the growth of the supercritical long-range percolation  
cluster on $\mathbb{Z}^d$ and an application for spatial epidemics
Author(s): Pieter Trapman

Abstract: We consider long-range percolation on $\mathbb{Z}^d$ in  
which the measure on the configuration of edges is a product measure  
and the probability that two vertices at distance $r$ share an edge is  
given by $p(r) = 1-\exp[-\lambda(r)] \in (0,1)$. Here $\lambda(r)$ is  
a strictly positive, non-increasing regularly varying function. We  
investigate the asymptotic growth of the size of the $k$-ball around  
the origin, $|\mathcal{B}_k|$, i.e. the number of vertices that are  
within graph-distance $k$ of the origin, for $k \to \infty$ for  
different $\lambda(r)$. We show that conditioned on the origin being  
in the infinite component, non-empty classes of non-increasing  
regularly varying $\lambda(r)$ exist for which respectively $| 
\mathcal{B}_k|^{1/k} \to \infty$ almost surely, there exist $1 < a_2 <  
\infty$ such that $\lim_{k\to \infty} \mathbb{P}(a_1<|\mathcal{B}_k| 
^{1/k}< a_2) = 1$, $|\mathcal{B}_k|^{1/k} \to 1$ almost surely. This  
result can be applied to spatial $SIR$ epidemics. In particular, we  
show that it is possible to construct a distribution of long-range  
contacts between individuals only depending on their distance, such  
that the number of infectious individuals in the $k$-th infection  
generation stochastically dominates an exponentially growing function.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0661


7974. Isomorphism and Symmetries in Random Phylogenetic Trees
Author(s): Philippe Flajolet and Miklos Bona

Abstract: The probability that two randomly selected phylogenetic  
trees of the same size are isomorphic is found to be asymptotic to a  
decreasing exponential modulated by a polynomial factor. The number of  
symmetrical nodes in a random phylogenetic tree of large size obeys a  
limiting Gaussian distribution, in the sense of both central and local  
limits. The probability that two random phylogenetic trees have the  
same number of symmetries asymptotically obeys an inverse square-root  
law. Precise estimates for these problems are obtained by methods of  
analytic combinatorics, involving bivariate generating functions,  
singularity analysis, and quasi-powers approximations.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0696


7975. Convolution symmetries of integrable hierarchies, matrix models  
and $\tau$-functions
Author(s): J. Harnad and A. Yu. Orlov

Abstract: Generalized convolution symmetries of integrable hierarchies  
of KP-Toda and 2KP-Toda type have the effect of multiplying the  
Fourier coefficients of the Baker-Akhiezer function by a specified  
sequence of constants. The induced action on the associated fermionic  
Fock space is diagonal in the standard orthonormal base determined by  
occupation sites and labeled by partitions. The coefficients in the  
single and double Schur function expansions of the associated $\tau$- 
functions, which are the Pl\"ucker coordinates of a decomposable  
element, are multiplied by the corresponding diagonal factors.  
Applying such transformations to matrix integrals, we obtain new  
matrix models of externally coupled type which are also KP-Toda or 2KP- 
Toda $\tau$-functions. More general multiple integral representations  
of tau functions are similarly obtained, as well as finite  
determinantal expressions for them.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0323


7976. New bounds for the free energy of directed polymer in dimension  
1+1 and 1+2
Author(s): Hubert Lacoin

Abstract: We study the free energy of the directed polymer in random  
environment in dimension 1+1 and 1+2. For dimension 1, we improve the  
statement of Comets and Vargas concerning very strong disorder by  
giving sharp estimates on the free energy at high temperature. In  
dimension 2, we prove that very strong disorder holds at all  
temperatures, thus solving a long standing conjecture.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0699


7977. Phantom Probability
Author(s): Yehuda Izhakian and Zur Izhakian

Abstract: The classical probability theory supports probability  
measures assigning each event with a fixed positive real value; aiming  
to formulate occurrences in real life, these measures are far from  
being satisfactory. The main innovation of this paper is the  
introduction of a new probability measure, enabling the assignment of  
events with varying probabilities that are recorded by ring elements;  
this measure still provides a Bayesian model, resembling the classical  
probability model. By introducing two principles for the possible  
variation of a probability (also known as uncertainty, ambiguity, or  
imprecise probability), together with the ``correct'' algebraic  
structure allowing the framing of these principles, we present the  
foundations for the theory of phantom probability, generalizing the  
classical probability theory in a natural way. This generalization  
preserves much of the well known properties, as well as familiar  
distribution functions, of the classical probability theory: moments,  
covariance, moment generating functions, the low of large numbers, and  
the central limit theorem are a few instances demonstrating the  
concept of the phantom probability theory.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0902


7978. A new approach to mutual information. II
Author(s): Fumio Hiai and Takuho Miyamoto

Abstract: A new concept of mutual pressure is introduced for potential  
functions on both continuous and discrete compound spaces via discrete  
micro-states of permutations, and its relations with the usual  
pressure and the mutual information are established. This paper is a  
continuation of the paper of Hiai and Petz in Banach Center  
Publications, Vol. 78.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1072


7979. When do nonlinear filters achieve maximal accuracy?
Author(s): Ramon van Handel

Abstract: The nonlinear filter for an ergodic signal observed in white  
noise is said to achieve maximal accuracy if the stationary filtering  
error vanishes as the signal to noise ratio diverges. We give a  
general characterization of the maximal accuracy property in terms of  
various systems theoretic notions. When the signal state space is a  
finite set explicit necessary and sufficient conditions are obtained,  
while the linear Gaussian case reduces to a classic result of  
Kwakernaak and Sivan (1972).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1084


7980. A CLT for the L^{2} modulus of continuity of Brownian local time
Author(s): Xia Chen and Wenbo Li and Michael B. Marcus and Jay Rosen

Abstract: Let $\{L^{x}_{t} ; (x,t)\in R^{1}\times R^{1}_{+}\}$ denote  
the local time of Brownian motion and \[ \alpha_{t}:=\int_{- 
\infty}^{\infty} (L^{x}_{t})^{2} dx . \] Let $\eta=N(0,1)$ be  
independent of $\alpha_{t}$. For each fixed $t$ \[ {\int_{- 
\infty}^{\infty} (L^{x+h}_{t}- L^{x}_{t})^{2} dx- 4ht\over h^{3/2}}  
\stackrel{\mathcal{L}}{\to}({64 \over 3})^{1/2}\sqrt{\alpha_{t}} \eta,  
\] as $h\rar 0$. Equivalently \[ {\int_{-\infty}^{\infty} (L^{x 
+1}_{t}- L^{x}_{t})^{2} dx- 4t\over t^{3/4}} \stackrel{\mathcal{L}} 
{\to}({64 \over 3} )^{1/2}\sqrt{\alpha_{1}} \eta, \] as $t\rar\infty$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1102


7981. Asymptotic behaviour of a general reversible chemical reaction- 
diffusion equation
Author(s): Ivan Gentil (CEREMADE) and Boguslaw Zegarlinski

Abstract: In this work, we prove the existence and the exponential  
decay to equilibrium of a general reversible chemical reaction- 
diffusion equation with same but general diffusion. Moreover, we prove  
the optimal asymptotic behaviour in the "two-by-two" case.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1241


7982. Projecting the Fokker-Planck Equation onto a finite dimensional  
exponential family
Author(s): Damiano Brigo and Giovanni Pistone

Abstract: In the present paper we discuss problems concerning  
evolutions of densities related to Ito diffusions in the framework of  
the statistical exponential manifold. We develop a rigorous approach  
to the problem, and we particularize it to the orthogonal projection  
of the evolution of the density of a diffusion process onto a finite  
dimensional exponential manifold. It has been shown by D. Brigo (1996)  
that the projected evolution can always be interpreted as the  
evolution of the density of a different diffusion process. We give  
also a compactness result when the dimension of the exponential family  
increases, as a first step towards a convergence result to be  
investigated in the future. The infinite dimensional exponential  
manifold structure introduced by G. Pistone and C. Sempi is used and  
some examples are given.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1308


7983. Collisions and Spirals of Loewner Traces
Author(s): Joan Lind and Donald E. Marshall and and Steffen Rohde

Abstract: We analyze Loewner traces driven by functions asymptotic to K 
\sqrt{1-t}. We prove a stability result when K is not 4 and show that  
K=4 can lead to non locally connected hulls. As a consequence, we  
obtain a driving term \lambda(t) so that the hulls driven by K 
\lambda(t) are generated by a continuous curve for all K > 0 with K  
not equal to 4 but not when K = 4, so that the space of driving terms  
with continuous traces is not convex. As a byproduct, we obtain an  
explicit construction of the traces driven by K\sqrt{1-t} and a  
conceptual proof of the corresponding results of Kager, Nienhuis and  
Kadanoff, math-ph/0309006

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1157


7984. A Better Way to Deal the Cards
Author(s): Mark Conger and Jason Howald

Abstract: This thesis considers the effect of riffle shuffling on  
decks of cards, allowing for some cards to be indistinguishable from  
other cards. The dual problem of dealing a game with hands, such as  
bridge or poker, is also considered. The Gilbert-Shannon-Reeds model  
of card shuffling is used, along with variation distance for measuring  
how close to uniform a deck has become. The surprising results are  
that for a deck with only two types of cards (such as red and black),  
the shuffler can greatly improve the randomness of the deck by  
insuring that the top and bottom cards are the same before shuffling.  
And in the case of dealing cards for a game with "hands", such as  
bridge or poker, the normal method of dealing cyclically around the  
table is very far from optimal. In the case of a well-shuffled bridge  
deck, changing to another dealing method is as good as doing 3.7 extra  
shuffles. How the deck is cut in poker affects its randomness as well.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1324


7985. Semi-infinite TASEP with a Complex Boundary Mechanism
Author(s): Nicky Sonigo (UMPA-Ensl)

Abstract: We consider a totally asymmetric exclusion process on the  
positive half-line. When particles enter in the system according to a  
Poisson source, Liggett has computed all the limit distributions when  
the initial distribution has an asymptotic density. In this paper we  
consider systems for which particles enter at the boundary according  
to a complex mechanism depending on the current configuration in a  
finite neighborhood of the origin. For this kind of models, we prove a  
strong law of large numbers for the number of particles entered in the  
system at a given time. Our main tool is a new representation of the  
model as a multi-type particle system with infinitely many particle  
types.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1364


7986. Two kinds of conditionings for stable L\'evy processes
Author(s): Kouji Yano

Abstract: Two kinds of conditionings for one-dimensional stable L\'evy  
processes are discussed via $ h $-transforms of excursion measures:  
One is to stay positive, and the other is to avoid the origin.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1374


7987. Mixture of the Riesz distribution with respect to the  
multivariate Poisson
Author(s): Abdelhamid Hassairi and Mahdi Louati

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to study the mixture of the Riesz  
distribution on symmetric matrices with respect to the multivariate  
Poisson distribution. We show, in particular, that this distribution  
is related to the modified Bessel function of the first kind. We also  
study the generated natural exponential family. We determine the  
domain of the means and the variance function of this family.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1390


7988. Tails of multivariate Archimedean copulas
Author(s): Arthur Charpentier and Johan Segers

Abstract: A complete and user-friendly directory of tails of  
Archimedean copulas is presented which can be used in the selection  
and construction of appropriate models with desired properties. The  
results are synthesized in the form of a decision tree: Given the  
values of some readily computable characteristics of the Archimedean  
generator, the upper and lower tails of the copula are classified into  
one of three classes each, one corresponding to asymptotic dependence  
and the other two to asymptotic independence. For a long list of  
single-parameter families, the relevant tail quantities are computed  
so that the corresponding classes in the decision tree can easily be  
determined. In addition, new models with tailor-made upper and lower  
tails can be constructed via a number of transformation methods. The  
frequently occurring category of asymptotic independence turns out to  
conceal a surprisingly rich variety of tail dependence structures.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1521


7989. The phase transition of the quantum Ising model is sharp
Author(s): J. E. Bj\"ornberg and G. R. Grimmett

Abstract: An analysis is presented of the phase transition of the  
quantum Ising model with transverse field on the d-dimensional  
hypercubic lattice. It is shown that there is a unique sharp  
transition. The value of the critical point is calculated rigorously  
in one dimension. The first step is to express the quantum Ising model  
in terms of a (continuous) classical Ising model in d+1 dimensions. A  
so-called `random-parity' representation is developed for the latter  
model, similar to the random-current representation for the classical  
Ising model on a discrete lattice. Certain differential inequalities  
are proved. Integration of these inequalities yields the sharpness of  
the phase transition, and also a number of other facts concerning the  
critical and near-critical behaviour of the model under study.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.0328


7990. A cautionary tale on the efficiency of some adaptive Monte Carlo  
Schemes
Author(s): Yves F. Atchade

Abstract: There is a growing interest in the literature for adaptive  
Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods based on sequences of random  
transition kernels $\{P_n\}$ where the kernel $P_n$ is allowed to have  
an invariant distribution $\pi_n$ not necessarily equal to the  
distribution of interest $\pi$ (target distribution). These algorithms  
are designed such that as $n\to\infty$, $P_n$ converges to $P$, a  
kernel that has the correct invariant distribution $\pi$. Typically, $P 
$ is a kernel with good convergence properties, but one that cannot be  
directly implemented. It is then expected that the algorithm will  
inherit the good convergence properties of $P$. The equi-energy  
sampler of \cite{kzw06} is an example of this type of adaptive MCMC.  
We show in this paper, that the asymptotic variance of this type of  
adaptive MCMC is always at least as large as the asymptotic variance  
of the Markov chain with transition kernel $P$. We also show by  
simulation that the difference can be substantial.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1378


7991. The Logarithmic Sobolev Inequality in Infinite dimensions for  
Unbounded Spin Systems on the Lattice with non Quadratic Interactions
Author(s): Ioannis Papageorgiou (Imperial College London)

Abstract: We are interested in the Logarithmic Sobolev Inequality for  
the infinite volume Gibbs measure with no quadratic interactions. We  
consider unbounded spin systems on the one dimensional Lattice with  
interactions that go beyond the usual strict convexity and without  
uniform bound on the second derivative. We assume that the one  
dimensional single-site measure with boundaries satisfies the Log- 
Sobolev inequality uniformly on the boundary conditions and we  
determine conditions under which the Log-Sobolev Inequality can be  
extended to the infinite volume Gibbs measure.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1403


7992. Degree-distribution Stability of Evolving Networks
Author(s): Zhenting Hou and Xiangxing Kong and Dinghua Shi and  
Guanrong Chen and Qinggui Zhao

Abstract: In this paper, we abstract a kind of stochastic processes  
from evolving processes of evolving networks, this process is called  
evolving network Markov chains. Thus the degree distribution of  
evolving network is transformed to the corresponding problem of  
evolving network Markov chains. First we investigate the evolving  
network Markov chains, and get its exact formulas and obtain a  
criteria to judge whether the steady degree distribution is power-law  
or not. Then we apply it to evolving networks. With this method, we  
get a rigorous, exact and unified solution of the steady degree  
distribution for evolving networks.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1418


7993. Perturbing the Logarithmic Sobolev Inequality for Unbounded Spin  
Systems on the Lattice with non Quadratic Interactions
Author(s): Ioannis Papageorgiou (Imperial College London)

Abstract: We consider unbounded spin systems on the one dimensional  
Lattice with interactions that go beyond the usual strict convexity  
and without uniform bound on the second derivative. We assume that the  
one dimensional without interactions (boundary-free) measure satisfies  
the Logarithmic Sobolev inequality and we determine conditions under  
which the Log-Sobolev Inequality can be extended to the infinite  
volume Gibbs measure.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1482


7994. Correlation inequalities of GKS type for the Potts model
Author(s): Geoffrey Grimmett

Abstract: Correlation inequalities are presented for functionals of a  
ferromagnetic Potts model with external field, using the random- 
cluster representation. These results extend earlier inequalities of  
Ganikhodjaev--Razak and Schonmann, and yield also GKS-type  
inequalities when the spin-space is taken as the set of qth roots of  
unity.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1625


7995. Entropic Measure on Multidimensional Spaces
Author(s): Karl-Theodor Sturm

Abstract: We construct the entropic measure $\mathbb{P}^\beta$ on  
compact manifolds of any dimension. It is defined as the push forward  
of the Dirichlet process (another random probability measure, well- 
known to exist on spaces of any dimension) under the {\em conjugation  
map} $$\Conj:\mathcal{P}(M)\to\mathcal{P}(M).$$ This conjugation map  
is a continuous involution. It can be regarded as the canonical  
extension to higher dimensional spaces of a map between probability  
measures on 1-dimensional spaces characterized by the fact that the  
distribution functions of $\mu$ and $\Conj(\mu)$ are inverse to each  
other. We also present an heuristic interpretation of the entropic  
measure as $$d\mathbb{P}^\beta(\mu)=\frac{1}{Z}\exp(-\beta\cdot {Ent}  
(\mu|m))\cdot d\mathbb{P}^0(\mu).$$

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1815


7996. Approximation of target problems in Blackwell spaces
Author(s): Giacomo Aletti and Diane Saada

Abstract: On a weakly Blackwell space we show how to define a Markov  
chain approximating problem, for the target problem. The approximating  
problem is proved to converge to the optimal reduced problem under  
different pseudometrics. A computational example of compression of  
information is discussed.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1871


7997. Distribution of Random Variables on the Symmetric Group
Author(s): Vytas Zacharovas

Abstract: The well known Erdos-Turan law states that the logarithm of  
an order of a random permutation is asymptotically normally  
distributed. The aim of this work is to estimate convergence rate in  
this theorem and also to prove analogous result for distribution of  
the logarithm of an order of a random permutation on a certain class  
of subsets of the symmetric group. We also study the asymptotic  
behavior of the mean values of multiplicative functions on the  
symmetric group and the results we obtain are of independent interest  
besides their application to the investigation of the remainder term  
in the Erdos-Turan law. We also study a related problem of  
distribution of the degree of a splitting field of a random polynomial  
and obtain sharp estimates for its convergence rate to normal law. In  
research we apply both probabilistic and analytic methods. Some  
analytic methods used here have their origins in the probabilistic  
number theory, and some have their roots in the theory of summation of  
divergent series. One of the approaches we use is to apply Tauberian  
type estimates for Voronoi summability of divergent series to analyze  
the generating functions of the mean values of multiplicative functions.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1733


7998. Classification of E_0--Semigroups by Product Systems
Author(s): Michael Skeide

Abstract: In these notes we tie up some loose ends in the theory of  
E_0-semigroups and their classification by product systems of Hilbert  
modules. We explain how the notion of cocycle conjugacy must be  
modified in order to see how product systems classify E_0-semigroups.  
Actually, we will find two notions of cocycle conjugacy (which for  
Hilbert spaces coincide) that lead to classification up to isomorphism  
of product systems and up to Morita equivalence of product systems,  
respectively. (In between there is also a classification up to  
generalized isomorphism of product systems.) Apart from these new  
results, we provide also general versions of results known for Hilbert  
modules with unit vectors. In this context it is also indispensable to  
review the notions of Morita equivalent product systems and Morita  
equivalent Hilbert modules, adding some generalities that have not yet  
been mentioned. In any case, we underline the outstanding role played  
by Morita equivalence in the relation between E_0-semigroups and  
product systems. As usual with Morita equivalence, the most satisfying  
form of the results we find for von Neumann algebras. Some of the C*- 
versions of the results will depend on countability assumptions.  
Altogether, we have now a complete the theory of the classification of  
normal E_0-semigroups on B^a(E) by product systems of von Neumann  
correspondences. We have the same theory for the classification of  
strict E_0-semigroups by product systems of C*-correspondences under  
countability hypotheses. In both cases, we apply our theory to prove  
that a Markov semigroup admits a Hudson-Parthasarathy dilation if and  
only if it is spatial.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1798


7999. A finite dimensional filter with exponential conditional density
Author(s): Damiano Brigo

Abstract: In this paper we consider the continuous--time nonlinear  
filtering problem, which has an infinite--dimensional solution in  
general, as proved by Chaleyat--Maurel and Michel. There are few  
examples of nonlinear systems for which the optimal filter is finite  
dimensional, in particular Kalman's, Benes', and Daum's filters. In  
the present paper, we construct new classes of scalar nonlinear  
filtering problems admitting finite--dimensional filters. We consider  
a given (nonlinear) diffusion coefficient for the state equation, a  
given (nonlinear) observation function, and a given finite-- 
dimensional exponential family of probability densities. We construct  
a drift for the state equation such that the resulting nonlinear  
filtering problem admits a finite--dimensional filter evolving in the  
prescribed exponential family augmented by the observaton function and  
its square.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1952


8000. Brownian motion with respect to time-changing Riemannian  
metrics, applications to Ricci flow
Author(s): Kol\'eh\'e Abdoulaye Coulibaly-Pasquier (LMA)

Abstract: We generalize Brownian motion on a Riemannian manifold to  
the case of a family of metrics which depends on time. Such questions  
are natural for equations like the heat equation with respect to time  
dependent Laplacians (inhomogeneous diffusions). In this paper we are  
in particular interested in the Ricci flow which provides an intrinsic  
family of time dependent metrics. We give a notion of parallel  
transport along this Brownian motion, and establish a generalization  
of the Dohrn-Guerra or damped parallel transport, Bismut integration  
by part formulas, and gradient estimate formulas. One of our main  
results is a characterization of the Ricci flow in terms of the damped  
parallel transport. At the end of the paper we give an intrinsic  
definition of the damped parallel transport in terms of stochastic  
flows, and derive an intrinsic martingale which may provide  
information about singularities of the flow.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1999


8001. Some differential systems driven by a fBm with Hurst parameter  
greater than 1/4
Author(s): Samy Tindel (IECN) and Iv\'an Torrecilla (UB)

Abstract: This note is devoted to show how to push forward the  
algebraic integration setting in order to treat differential systems  
driven by a noisy input with H\"older regularity greater than 1/4.  
After recalling how to treat the case of ordinary stochastic  
differential equations, we mainly focus on the case of delay  
equations. A careful analysis is then performed in order to show that  
a fractional Brownian motion with Hurst parameter H>1/4 fulfills the  
assumptions of our abstract theorems.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2010


8002. The cut metric, random graphs, and branching processes
Author(s): Bela Bollobas and Svante Janson and Oliver Riordan

Abstract: In this paper we study the component structure of random  
graphs with independence between the edges. Under mild assumptions, we  
determine whether there is a giant component, and find its asymptotic  
size when it exists. We assume that the sequence of matrices of edge  
probabilities converges to an appropriate limit object (a kernel), but  
only in a very weak sense, namely in the cut metric. Our results thus  
generalize previous results on the phase transition in the already  
very general inhomogeneous random graph model we introduced recently,  
as well as related results of Bollob\'as, Borgs, Chayes and Riordan,  
all of which involve considerably stronger assumptions. We also prove  
corresponding results for random hypergraphs; these generalize our  
results on the phase transition in inhomogeneous random graphs with  
clustering.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2091


8003. Hankel determinants of Dirichlet series
Author(s): H. Monien

Abstract: We derive a general expression for the Hankel determinants  
of a Dirichlet series F(s) and derive the asymptotic behavior for the  
special case that F(s) is the Riemann zeta function. In this case the  
Hankel determinant is a discrete analogue of the Selberg integral and  
can be viewed as a matrix integral with discrete measure. We briefly  
comment on its relation to Plancherel measures.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1883


8004. A Lower Bound on the Capacity of Wireless Erasure Networks with  
Random Node Locations
Author(s): Rayyan G. Jaber and Jeffrey G. Andrews

Abstract: In this paper, a lower bound on the capacity of wireless ad  
hoc erasure networks is derived in closed form in the canonical case  
where $n$ nodes are uniformly and independently distributed in the  
unit area square. The bound holds almost surely and is asymptotically  
tight. We assume all nodes have fixed transmit power and hence two  
nodes should be within a specified distance $r_n$ of each other to  
overcome noise. In this context, interference determines outages, so  
we model each transmitter-receiver pair as an erasure channel with a  
broadcast constraint, i.e. each node can transmit only one signal  
across all its outgoing links. A lower bound of $\Theta(n r_n)$ for  
the capacity of this class of networks is derived. If the broadcast  
constraint is relaxed and each node can send distinct signals on  
distinct outgoing links, we show that the gain is a function of $r_n$  
and the link erasure probabilities, and is at most a constant if the  
link erasure probabilities grow sufficiently large with $n$. Finally,  
the case where the erasure probabilities are themselves random  
variables, for example due to randomness in geometry or channels, is  
analyzed. We prove somewhat surprisingly that in this setting,  
variability in erasure probabilities increases network capacity.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1936


8005. Soliton dynamics for the Korteweg-de Vries equation with  
multiplicative homogeneous noise
Author(s): Anne De Bouard (CMAP) and Arnaud Debussche (IRMAR)

Abstract: We consider a randomly perturbed Korteweg-de Vries equation.  
The perturbation is a random potential depending both on space and  
time, with a white noise behavior in time, and a regular, but  
stationary behavior in space. We investigate the dynamics of the  
soliton of the KdV equation in the presence of this random  
perturbation, assuming that the amplitude of the perturbation is  
small. We estimate precisely the exit time of the perturbed solution  
from a neighborhood of the modulated soliton, and we obtain the  
modulation equations for the soliton parameters. We moreover prove a  
central limit theorem for the dispersive part of the solution, and  
investigate the asymptotic behavior in time of the limit process.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.1965


8006. H"older index for density states of (alpha,1,beta)- 
superprocesses at a given point
Author(s): Klaus Fleischmann and Leonid Mytnik and Vitali Wachtel

Abstract: A H"older regularity index at given points for density  
states of (alpha,1,beta)-superprocesses with alpha>1+beta is  
determined. It is shown that this index is strictly greater than the  
optimal index of local H"older continuity for those density states.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2315


8007. On weak approximation of U-statistics
Author(s): Masoud M. Nasari

Abstract: This paper investigates weak convergence of U-statistics via  
approximation in probability. The classical condition that the second  
moment of the kernel of the underlying U-statistic exists is relaxed  
to having 4/3 moments only (modulo a logarithmic term). Furthermore,  
the conditional expectation of the kernel is only assumed to be in the  
domain of attraction of the normal law (instead of the classical two- 
moment condition).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2343


8008. An Excursion-Theoretic Approach to Stability of Discrete-Time  
Stochastic Hybrid Systems
Author(s): Debasish Chatterjee and Soumik Pal

Abstract: We address stability of a class of Markovian discrete-time  
stochastic hybrid systems. This class of systems is characterized by  
the state-space of the system being partitioned into a safe or target  
set and its exterior, and the dynamics of the system being different  
in each domain. We give conditions for $L_1$-boundedness of Lyapunov  
functions based on certain negative drift conditions outside the  
target set, together with some more minor assumptions. We then apply  
our results to a wide class of randomly switched systems (or iterated  
function systems), for which we give conditions for global asymptotic  
stability almost surely and in $L_1$. The systems need not be time- 
homogeneous, and our results apply to certain systems for which  
functional-analytic or martingale-based estimates are difficult or  
impossible to get.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2269


8009. Counterexamples in the theory of fair division
Author(s): Theodore P. Hill and Kent E. Morrison

Abstract: The formal mathematical theory of fair division has a rich  
history dating back at least to Steinhaus in the 1940's. In recent  
work in this area, several general classes of errors have appeared  
along with confusion about the necessity and sufficiency of certain  
hypotheses. It is the purpose of this article to correct the  
scientific record and to point out with concrete examples some of the  
pitfalls that have led to these mistakes. These examples may serve as  
guideposts for future work.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2360


8010. Pricing and trading credit default swaps in a hazard process model
Author(s): Tomasz R. Bielecki and Monique Jeanblanc and Marek Rutkowski

Abstract: In the paper we study dynamics of the arbitrage prices of  
credit default swaps within a hazard process model of credit risk. We  
derive these dynamics without postulating that the immersion property  
is satisfied between some relevant filtrations. These results are then  
applied so to study the problem of replication of general defaultable  
claims, including some basket claims, by means of dynamic trading of  
credit default swaps.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2390


8011. Poisson process approximation for dependent superposition of  
point processes
Author(s): Louis H. Y. Chen and Aihua Xia

Abstract: Although the study of weak convergence of superposition of  
point processes to the Poisson process dates back to the work of  
Grigelionis in 1963, it was only recently that Schuhmacher (2005a)  
obtained error bounds for the weak convergence. Schuhmacher considered  
dependent supposition, truncated the individual point processes to  
0--1 point processes and then applied Stein's method to the latter. In  
this paper we take a different approach to the problem by using Palm  
theory and Stein's method, thereby expressing the error bounds in  
terms of the mean measures of the individual point processes, which is  
not possible by Schuhmacher's approach. We consider locally dependent  
supposition as a generalization of the locally dependent point process  
introduced in Chen and Xia (2004) and apply the main theorem to the  
superposition of thinned point processes and of renewal processes.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2445


8012. Busemann functions and equilibrium measures in last passage  
percolation
Author(s): Eric Cator and Leandro P.R. Pimentel

Abstract: The interplay between two-dimensional percolation growth  
models and one-dimensional particle processes has always been a  
fruitful source of interesting mathematical phenomena. In this paper  
we develop a connection between the construction of Busemann functions  
in the Hammersley last-passage percolation model with i.i.d. random  
weights, and the existence, ergodicity and uniqueness of equilibrium  
measures for the related (multi-class) interacting particle process.  
As we shall see, in the classical Hammersley model where each point  
has weight one, this approach brings a new and rather geometrical  
solution of the longest increasing subsequence problem, as well as a  
detailed description of the scaling behavior of the Busemann function  
along different directions.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2450


8013. Asymptotic optimality of maximum pressure policies in stochastic  
processing networks
Author(s): J. G. Dai and Wuqin Lin

Abstract: We consider a class of stochastic processing networks.  
Assume that the networks satisfy a complete resource pooling  
condition. We prove that each maximum pressure policy asymptotically  
minimizes the workload process in a stochastic processing network in  
heavy traffic. We also show that, under each quadratic holding cost  
structure, there is a maximum pressure policy that asymptotically  
minimizes the holding cost. A key to the optimality proofs is to prove  
a state space collapse result and a heavy traffic limit theorem for  
the network processes under a maximum pressure policy. We extend a  
framework of Bramson [Queueing Systems Theory Appl. 30 (1998) 89--148]  
and Williams [Queueing Systems Theory Appl. 30 (1998b) 5--25] from the  
multiclass queueing network setting to the stochastic processing  
network setting to prove the state space collapse result and the heavy  
traffic limit theorem. The extension can be adapted to other studies  
of stochastic processing networks.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2451


8014. State-dependent Foster-Lyapunov criteria for subgeometric  
convergence of Markov chains
Author(s): Stephen B. Connor and Gersende Fort

Abstract: We consider a form of state-dependent drift condition for a  
general Markov chain, whereby the chain subsampled at some  
deterministic time satisfies a geometric Foster-Lyapunov condition. We  
present sufficient criteria for such a drift condition to exist, and  
use these to partially answer a question posed by Connor & Kendall  
(2007) concerning the existence of so-called 'tame' Markov chains.  
Furthermore, we show that our 'subsampled drift condition' implies the  
existence of finite moments for the return time to a small set.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2453


8015. Central limit theorem for the solution of the Kac equation
Author(s): Ester Gabetta and Eugenio Regazzini

Abstract: We prove that the solution of the Kac analogue of  
Boltzmann's equation can be viewed as a probability distribution of a  
sum of a random number of random variables. This fact allows us to  
study convergence to equilibrium by means of a few classical  
statements pertaining to the central limit theorem. In particular, a  
new proof of the convergence to the Maxwellian distribution is  
provided, with a rate information both under the sole hypothesis that  
the initial energy is finite and under the additional condition that  
the initial distribution has finite moment of order $2+\delta$ for  
some $\delta$ in $(0,1]$. Moreover, it is proved that finiteness of  
initial energy is necessary in order that the solution of Kac's  
equation can converge weakly. While this statement may seem to be  
intuitively clear, to our knowledge there is no proof of it as yet.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2464


8016. The asymptotic distribution and Berry--Esseen bound of a new  
test for independence in high dimension with an application to  
stochastic optimization
Author(s): Wei-Dong Liu and Zhengyan Lin and Qi-Man Shao

Abstract: Let $\mathbf{X}_1,...,\mathbf{X}_n$ be a random sample from  
a $p$-dimensional population distribution. Assume that $c_1n^{\alpha} 
\leq p\leq c_2n^{\alpha}$ for some positive constants $c_1,c_2$ and $ 
\alpha$. In this paper we introduce a new statistic for testing  
independence of the $p$-variates of the population and prove that the  
limiting distribution is the extreme distribution of type I with a  
rate of convergence $O((\log n)^{5/2}/\sqrt{n})$. This is much faster  
than $O(1/\log n)$, a typical convergence rate for this type of  
extreme distribution. A simulation study and application to stochastic  
optimization are discussed.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2468


8017. Optimal stopping and free boundary characterizations for some  
Brownian control problems
Author(s): Amarjit Budhiraja and Kevin Ross

Abstract: A singular stochastic control problem with state constraints  
in two-dimensions is studied. We show that the value function is $C^1$  
and its directional derivatives are the value functions of certain  
optimal stopping problems. Guided by the optimal stopping problem, we  
then introduce the associated no-action region and the free boundary  
and show that, under appropriate conditions, an optimally controlled  
process is a Brownian motion in the no-action region with reflection  
at the free boundary. This proves a conjecture of Martins, Shreve and  
Soner [SIAM J. Control Optim. 34 (1996) 2133--2171] on the form of an  
optimal control for this class of singular control problems. An  
important issue in our analysis is that the running cost is Lipschitz  
but not $C^1$. This lack of smoothness is one of the key obstacles in  
establishing regularity of the free boundary and of the value  
function. We show that the free boundary is Lipschitz and that the  
value function is $C^2$ in the interior of the no-action region. We  
then use a verification argument applied to a suitable $C^2$  
approximation of the value function to establish optimality of the  
conjectured control.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2474


8018. The contact process in a dynamic random environment
Author(s): Daniel Remenik

Abstract: We study a contact process running in a random environment  
in $\mathbb {Z}^d$ where sites flip, independently of each other,  
between blocking and nonblocking states, and the contact process is  
restricted to live in the space given by nonblocked sites. We give a  
partial description of the phase diagram of the process, showing in  
particular that, depending on the flip rates of the environment,  
survival of the contact process may or may not be possible for large  
values of the birth rate. We prove block conditions for the process  
that parallel the ones for the ordinary contact process and use these  
to conclude that the critical process dies out and that the complete  
convergence theorem holds in the supercritical case.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2480


8019. A von Neumann theorem for uniformly distributed sequences of  
partitions
Author(s): Ingrid Carbone and Aljosa Volcic (University of Calabria -  
Italy)

Abstract: In this paper we consider permutations of sequences of  
partitions, obtaining a result which parallels von Neumann's theorem  
on permutations of dense sequences and uniformly distributed sequences  
of points.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2531


8020. Fermionic construction of partition functions for two-matrix  
models and perturbative Schur function expansions
Author(s): J. Harnad and A.Yu. Orlov

Abstract: A new representation of the 2N fold integrals appearing in  
various two-matrix models that admit reductions to integrals over  
their eigenvalues is given in terms of vacuum state expectation values  
of operator products formed from two-component free fermions. This is  
used to derive the perturbation series for these integrals under  
deformations induced by exponential weight factors in the measure,  
expressed as double and quadruple Schur function expansions,  
generalizing results obtained earlier for certain two-matrix models.  
Links with the coupled two-component KP hierarchy and the two- 
component Toda lattice hierarchy are also derived.

http://arxiv.org/abs/math-ph/0512056


8021. Synchronization of dissipative dynamical systems driven by non- 
Gaussian Levy noises
Author(s): Xianming Liu and Jinqiao Duan and Jicheng Liu and Peter E.  
Kloeden

Abstract: Dynamical systems driven by Gaussian noises have been  
considered extensively in modeling, simulation and theory. However,  
complex systems in engineering and science are often subject to non- 
Gaussian fluctuations or uncertainties. A coupled dynamical system  
under non- Gaussian Levy noises is considered. After discussing  
cocycle prop- erty, stationary orbits and random attractors, a  
synchronization phe- nomenon is shown to occur, when the drift terms  
of the coupled system satisfy certain dissipativity and integrability  
conditions. The synchro- nization result implies that coupled  
dynamical systems share a dy- namical feature in some asymptotic sense.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2446


8022. Exact Asymptotic for the Tail of Maximum of Smooth Random Field  
Distribution
Author(s): E. Ostrovsky

Abstract: We obtain in this paper using the saddle point method the  
expression for the exact asymptotic for the tail of maximum of smooth  
(twice continuous differentiable) random field (process) distribution.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2714


8023. Averaging of Hamiltonian flows with an ergodic component
Author(s): Dmitry Dolgopyat and Leonid Koralov

Abstract: We consider a process on $\mathbb{T}^2$, which consists of  
fast motion along the stream lines of an incompressible periodic  
vector field perturbed by white noise. It gives rise to a process on  
the graph naturally associated to the structure of the stream lines of  
the unperturbed flow. It has been shown by Freidlin and Wentzell  
[Random Perturbations of Dynamical Systems, 2nd ed. Springer, New York  
(1998)] and [Mem. Amer. Math. Soc. 109 (1994)] that if the stream  
function of the flow is periodic, then the corresponding process on  
the graph weakly converges to a Markov process. We consider the  
situation where the stream function is not periodic, and the flow  
(when considered on the torus) has an ergodic component of positive  
measure. We show that if the rotation number is Diophantine, then the  
process on the graph still converges to a Markov process, which spends  
a positive proportion of time in the vertex corresponding to the  
ergodic component of the flow.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2776


8024. Optimal approximation rate of certain stochastic integrals
Author(s): Heikki Sepp\"al\"a

Abstract: Given an increasing function $H:[0,1)\to [0,\infty)$ and $$  
A_n(H):=\inf_{\tau\in \mathcal{T}_n}(\sum_{i=1}^n \int_{t_{i-1}}^{t_i}  
(t_i-t)H^2(t)dt)^{{1/2}}, $$ where $\mathcal{T}_n:=\ 
{\tau=(t_i)_{i=0}^n: 0=t_0<...

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2777


8025. Weak solutions for forward--backward SDEs--a martingale problem  
approach
Author(s): Jin Ma and Jianfeng Zhang and Ziyu Zheng

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a new notion of Forward--Backward  
Martingale Problem (FBMP), and study its relationship with the weak  
solution to the forward--backward stochastic differential equations  
(FBSDEs). The FBMP extends the idea of the well-known (forward)  
martingale problem of Stroock and Varadhan, but it is structured  
specifically to fit the nature of an FBSDE. We first prove a general  
sufficient condition for the existence of the solution to the FBMP. In  
the Markovian case with uniformly continuous coefficients, we show  
that the weak solution to the FBSDE (or equivalently, the solution to  
the FBMP) does exist. Moreover, we prove that the uniqueness of the  
FBMP (whence the uniqueness of the weak solution) is determined by the  
uniqueness of the viscosity solution of the corresponding quasilinear  
PDE.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2790


8026. Some local approximations of Dawson--Watanabe superprocesses
Author(s): Olav Kallenberg

Abstract: Let $\xi$ be a Dawson--Watanabe superprocess in $\mathbb{R}^d 
$ such that $\xi_t$ is a.s. locally finite for every $t\geq 0$. Then  
for $d\geq2$ and fixed $t>0$, the singular random measure $\xi_t$ can  
be a.s. approximated by suitably normalized restrictions of Lebesgue  
measure to the $\varepsilon$-neighborhoods of $\operatorname {supp} 
\xi_t$. When $d\geq3$, the local distributions of $\xi_t$ near a  
hitting point can be approximated in total variation by those of a  
stationary and self-similar pseudo-random measure $\tilde{\xi}$. By  
contrast, the corresponding distributions for $d=2$ are locally  
invariant. Further results include improvements of some classical  
extinction criteria and some limiting properties of hitting  
probabilities. Our main proofs are based on a detailed analysis of the  
historical structure of $\xi$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2840


8027. Trivial intersection of $\sigma$-fields and Gibbs sampling
Author(s): Patrizia Berti and Luca Pratelli and Pietro Rigo

Abstract: Let $(\Omega,\mathcal{F},P)$ be a probability space and $ 
\mathcal{N}$ the class of those $F\in\mathcal{F}$ satisfying $P(F)\in 
\{0,1\}$. For each $\mathcal{G}\subset\mathcal{F}$, define $ 
\overline{\mathcal{G}}=\sigma(\mathcal{G}\cup\mathcal {N})$. Necessary  
and sufficient conditions for $\overline{\mathcal{A}}\cap 
\overline{\mathcal{B}}=\overline {\mathcal {A}\cap\mathcal{B}}$, where  
$\mathcal{A},\mathcal{B}\subset\mathcal{F}$ are sub-$\sigma$-fields,  
are given. These conditions are then applied to the (two-component)  
Gibbs sampler. Suppose $X$ and $Y$ are the coordinate projections on $ 
(\Omega,\mathcal{F})=(\mathcal{X}\times\mathcal{Y},\mathcal {U}\otimes  
\mathcal{V})$ where $(\mathcal{X},\mathcal{U})$ and $(\mathcal{Y}, 
\mathcal{V})$ are measurable spaces. Let $(X_n,Y_n)_{n\geq0}$ be the  
Gibbs chain for $P$. Then, the SLLN holds for $(X_n,Y_n)$ if and only  
if $\overline{\sigma(X)}\cap\overline{\sigma(Y)}=\mathcal{N}$, or  
equivalently if and only if $P(X\in U)P(Y\in V)=0$ whenever $U\in 
\mathcal{U}$, $V\in\mathcal{V}$ and $P(U\times V)=P(U^c\times V^c)=0$.  
The latter condition is also equivalent to ergodicity of $(X_n,Y_n)$,  
on a certain subset $S_0\subset\Omega$, in case $\mathcal{F}= 
\mathcal{U}\otimes\mathcal{V}$ is countably generated and $P$  
absolutely continuous with respect to a product measure.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2851


8028. Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Equations with time-dependent coefficients  
and Levy Noise in finite and infinite dimensions
Author(s): F. Kn\"able

Abstract: We solve a time-dependent linear SPDE with additive Levy  
noise in the mild and weak sense. Existence of a generalized invariant  
measure for the associated transition semigroup is established and the  
generator is characterized on the corresponding L^2-space. The square  
field operator is calculated, allowing to derive a Poincare and a  
Harnack inequality.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2887


8029. Evolution Systems of Measures for Non-autonomous Ornstein- 
Uhlenbeck Processes with Levy noise
Author(s): Robert Wooster

Abstract: We examine the question of existence and uniqueness of  
evolution systems of measures for non-autonomous Ornstein-Uhlenbeck- 
type processes with jumps. In particular, we give examples where we  
explicitly compute the densities of such families of measures.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2899


8030. Depinning of a polymer in a multi-interface medium
Author(s): Francesco Caravenna and Nicolas P\'etr\'elis

Abstract: In this paper we consider a model which describes a polymer  
chain interacting with an infinity of equi-spaced linear interfaces.  
The distance between two consecutive interfaces is denoted by T = T_N  
and is allowed to grow with the size N of the polymer. When the  
polymer receives a positive reward for touching the interfaces, its  
asymptotic behavior has been derived in a previous paper, showing that  
a transition occurs when T_N \approx log(N). In the present paper, we  
deal with the so-called depinning case, i.e., the polymer is repelled  
rather than attracted by the interfaces. Using techniques from renewal  
theory, we determine the scaling behavior of the model for large N as  
a function of T_N, showing that two transitions occur, when T_N  
\approx N^{1/3} and when T_N \approx N^{1/2} respectively.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2902


8031. A martingale approach to continuous time marginal structural  
models
Author(s): Kjetil Roysland

Abstract: Marginal structural models were introduced in order to  
provide estimates of causal effects from interventions based on  
observational studies in epidemiological research. We present a  
variant of the marginal structural strategy in continuous time using  
martingale theory and marked point processes. This offers a  
mathematical interpretation of marginal structural models that has not  
been available before. Our approach starts with a characterization of  
reasonable models of randomized trials in terms of local independence.  
Such a model gives a martingale measure that is equivalent to the  
observational measure. The continuous time likelihood ratio process  
with respect to these two probability measures corresponds to the  
weights in a discrete time marginal structural model. In order to do  
inference for the new measure, we can simulate sampling using the  
observed data weighted by this likelihood ratio.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2593


8032. The compositional construction of Markov processes
Author(s): L. de Francesco Albasini and N. Sabadini and R.F.C. Walters

Abstract: We describe an algebra for composing automata in which the  
actions have probabilities. We illustrate by showing how to calculate  
the probability of reaching deadlock in k steps in a model of the  
classical Dining Philosopher problem, and show, using the Perron- 
Frobenius Theorem, that this probability tends to 1 as k tends to  
infinity.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2434


8033. Ham Sandwich with Mayo: A Stronger Conclusion to the Classical  
Ham Sandwich Theorem
Author(s): John H. Elton and Theodore P. Hill

Abstract: The conclusion of the classical ham sandwich theorem of  
Banach and Steinhaus may be strengthened: there always exists a common  
bisecting hyperplane that touches each of the sets, that is,  
intersects the closure of each set. Hence, if the knife is smeared  
with mayonnaise, a cut can always be made so that it will not only  
simultaneously bisect each of the ingredients, but it will also spread  
mayonnaise on each. A discrete analog of this theorem says that n  
finite nonempty sets in n-dimensional Euclidean space can always be  
simultaneously bisected by a single hyperplane that contains at least  
one point in each set. More generally, for n compactly-supported  
positive finite Borel measures in Euclidean n-space, there is always a  
hyperplane that bisects each of the measures and intersects the  
support of each measure.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2589


8034. A Trotter type approach to infinite rate mutually catalytic  
branching
Author(s): Achim Klenke and Mario Oeler

Abstract: Dawson and Perkins (1998) constructed a stochastic model of  
an interacting two-type population indexed by a countable site space  
which locally undergoes a mutually catalytic branching mechanism.  
Klenke and Mytnik (2009) showed that as the branching rate approaches  
infinity the process converges to a process that is called the  
infinite rate mutually catalytic branching process. It is most  
conveniently characterised as the solution to a certain martingale  
problem. While Klenke and Mytnik used a noise equation approach in  
order to construct a solution to this martingale problem, the aim of  
this paper is to provide a Trotter type construction.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2993


8035. Condenser physics applied to Markov chains - A brief  
introduction to potential theory
Author(s): A. Gaudilliere

Abstract: These notes constitute the introduction to potential theory  
I exposed at the XIIth brazilian school of probability inside  
Elisabetta Scoppola's Introduction to Metastability.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3053


8036. Simulation and approximation of Levy-driven stochastic  
differential equations
Author(s): Nicolas Fournier

Abstract: We consider the problem of the simulation of Levy-driven  
stochastic differential equations. It is generally impossible to  
simulate the increments of a Levy-process. Thus in addition to an  
Euler scheme, we have to simulate approximately these increments. We  
use a method in which the large jumps are simulated exactly, while the  
small jumps are approximated by Gaussian variables. Using some recent  
results of Rio about the central limit theorem, in the spirit of the  
famous paper by Komlos-Major-Tsunady, we derive an estimate for the  
strong error of this numerical scheme. This error remains reasonnable  
when the Levy measure is very singular near 0, which is not the case  
when neglecting the small jumps. In the same spirit, we study the  
problem of the approximation of a Levy-driven S.D.E. by a Brownian  
S.D.E. when the Levy process has no large jumps.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3082


8037. On the Convergence of the Ensemble Kalman Filter
Author(s): Jan Mandel and Loren Cobb and and Jonathan D. Beezley

Abstract: Convergence of the ensemble Kalman filter in the limit for  
large ensembles to the Kalman filter is proved. In each step of the  
filter, convergence of the ensemble sample covariance follows from a  
weak law of large numbers for exchangeable random variables, Slutsky's  
theorem gives weak convergence of ensemble members, and $L^p$ bounds  
on the ensemble then give $L^p$ convergence.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2951


8038. A process very similar to multifractional Brownian motion
Author(s): Antoine Ayache (LPP) and Pierre R. Bertrand (INRIA Saclay -  
Ile de France)

Abstract: In Ayache and Taqqu (2005), the multifractional Brownian  
(mBm) motion is obtained by replacing the constant parameter $H$ of  
the fractional Brownian motion (fBm) by a smooth enough functional  
parameter $H(.)$ depending on the time $t$. Here, we consider the  
process $Z$ obtained by replacing in the wavelet expansion of the fBm  
the index $H$ by a function $H(.)$ depending on the dyadic point $k/2^j 
$. This process was introduced in Benassi et al (2000) to model fBm  
with piece-wise constant Hurst index and continuous paths. In this  
work, we investigate the case where the functional parameter satisfies  
an uniform H\"older condition of order $\beta>\sup_{t\in \rit} H(t)$  
and ones shows that, in this case, the process $Z$ is very similar to  
the mBm in the following senses: i) the difference between $Z$ and a  
mBm satisfies an uniform H\"older condition of order $d>\sup_{t\in \R}  
H(t)$; ii) as a by product, one deduces that at each point $t\in \R$  
the pointwise H\"older exponent of $Z$ is $H(t)$ and that $Z$ is  
tangent to a fBm with Hurst parameter $H(t)$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2808


8039. Max-plus Stochastic Control and Risk-sensitivity
Author(s): Wendell H. Fleming and Hidehiro Kaise and Shuenn-Jyi Sheu

Abstract: In the Maslov idempotent probability calculus, expectations  
of random variables are defined so as to be linear with respect to max- 
plus addition and scalar multiplication. This paper considers control  
problems in which the objective is to minimize the max-plus  
expectation of some max-plus additive running cost. Such problems  
arise naturally as limits of some types of risk sensitive stochastic  
control problems. The value function is a viscosity solution to a  
quasivariational inequality (QVI) of dynamic programming. Equivalence  
of this QVI to a nonlinear parabolic PDE with discontinuous  
Hamiltonian is used to prove a comparison theorem for viscosity sub-  
and super-solutions. An example from math finance is given, and an  
application in nonlinear H-infinity control is sketched.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3007


8040. Factorization of Joint Probability Mass Functions into Parity  
Check Interactions
Author(s): M. F. Bayramoglu and A. \"Ozg\"ur Y{\i}lmaz

Abstract: We show that any joint probability mass function (PMF) can  
be expressed as a product of parity check factors and factors of  
degree one, if the alphabet size is appropriate for defining a parity  
check equation. In other words, marginalization or maximization of a  
joint PMF is equivalent to a decoding task as long as a finite field  
can be constructed over the alphabet of the PMF. In factor graph  
terminology this claim means that a factor graph representing such a  
joint PMF always has an equivalent Tanner graph. We provide a  
systematic method based on the Hilbert space of PMFs and orthogonal  
projections for obtaining this factorization.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3056


8041. Moderate deviations in random graphs and Bernoulli random matrices
Author(s): Hanna D\"oring and Peter Eichelsbacher

Abstract: We prove a moderate deviation principle for subgraph count  
statistics of Erdos-Renyi random graphs. This is equivalent in showing  
a moderate deviation principle for the trace of a power of a Bernoulli  
random matrix. It is done via an estimation of the log-Laplace  
transform and the Gaertner-Ellis theorem. We obtain upper bounds on  
the upper tail probabilities of the number of occurrences of small  
subgraphs. The method of proof is used to show supplemental moderate  
deviation principles for a class of symmetric statistics, including  
non-degenerate U-statistics with independent or Markovian entries.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3246


8042. From the long jump random walk to the fractional Laplacian
Author(s): Enrico Valdinoci

Abstract: This note illustrates how a simple random walk with possibly  
long jumps is related to fractional powers of the Laplace operator.  
The exposition is elementary and self-contained.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3261


8043. Limit theorems for random spatial drainage networks
Author(s): Mathew D. Penrose and Andrew R. Wade

Abstract: Suppose that under the action of gravity, liquid drains  
through the unit $d$-cube via a minimal-length network of channels  
constrained to pass through random sites and to flow with nonnegative  
component in one of the canonical orthogonal basis directions of $\R^d 
$, $d \geq 2$. The resulting network is a version of the so-called  
minimal directed spanning tree. We give laws of large numbers and  
convergence in distribution results on the large-sample asymptotic  
behaviour of the total power-weighted edge-length of the network on  
uniform random points in $(0,1)^d$. The distributional results exhibit  
a weight-dependent phase transition between Gaussian and boundary- 
effect-derived distributions. These boundary contributions are  
characterized in terms of limits of the so-called on-line nearest- 
neighbour graph, a natural model of spatial network evolution, for  
which we also present some new results. Also, we give a convergence in  
distribution result for the length of the longest edge in the drainage  
network; when $d=2$, the limit is expressed in terms of Dickman-type  
variables.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3297


8044. The algebraic difference of two random Cantor sets: the Larsson  
family
Author(s): F.Michel Dekking and Karoly Simon and and Balazs Szekely

Abstract: In this paper we consider a family of random Cantor sets on  
the line and consider the question whether the condition that the sum  
of the Hausdorff dimensions is larger than one implies the existence  
of interior points in the difference set of two independent copies. We  
give a new and complete proof that this is the case for the random  
Cantor sets introduced by Per Larsson.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3304


8045. A Stochastic Approach for Parameterizing Unresolved Scales in a  
System with Memory
Author(s): Aijun Du and Jinqiao Duan

Abstract: Complex systems display variability over a broad range of  
spatial and temporal scales. Some scales are unresolved due to  
computational limitations. The impact of these unresolved scales on  
the resolved scales needs to be parameterized or taken into account.  
One stochastic parameterization scheme is devised to take the effects  
of unresolved scales into account, in the context of solving a  
nonlinear partial differential equation with memory (a time-integral  
term), via large eddy simulations. The obtained large eddy simulation  
model is a stochastic partial differential equation. Numerical  
experiments are performed to compare the solutions of the original  
system and of the stochastic large eddy simulation model.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3312


8046. The mean width of circumscribed random polytopes
Author(s): K\'aroly J. B\"or\"oczky and Rolf Schneider

Abstract: For a given convex body K in $R^d$, a random polytope  
$K^{(n)}$ is defined (essentially) as the intersection of $n$  
independent closed halfspaces containing $K$ and having an isotropic  
and (in a specified sense) uniform distribution. We prove upper and  
lower bounds, of optimal orders, for the difference of the mean widths  
of $K^{(n)}$ and K, as n tends to infinity. For a simplicial polytope  
P, a precise asymptotic formula for the difference of the mean widths  
of $P^{(n)}$ and P is obtained.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3343


8047. The Asymptotic Shape Theorem for Generalized First Passage  
Percolation
Author(s): Michael Bj\"orklund

Abstract: We generalize the asymptotic shape theorem in first passage  
percolation on $\Z^d$ to cover the case of general semimetrics. We  
prove a structure theorem for equivariant semimetrics on topological  
groups and an extended version of the maximal inequality for $\Z^d$- 
cocycles by D. Boivin and Y. Derriennic in the vector-valued case.  
This inequality will imply a very general form of Kingman's  
subadditive ergodic theorem. For certain classes of generalized first  
passage percolation we prove further structure theorems and provide  
rates of convergence in the asymptotic shape theorem. We also  
establish a general form of the multiplicative ergodic theorem by A.  
Karlsson and F. Ledrappier for cocycles with values in separable  
Banach spaces with the Radon-Nikod\'ym property.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3449


8048. Excursions of the integral of the Brownian motion
Author(s): Emmanuel Jacob (PMA)

Abstract: The integrated Brownian motion is sometimes known as the  
Langevin process. Lachal studied several excursion laws induced by the  
latter. Here we follow a different point of view developed by Pitman  
for general stationary processes. We first construct a stationary  
Langevin process and then determine explicitly its stationary  
excursion measure. This is then used to provide new descriptions of It 
\^o's excursion measure of the Langevin process reflected at a  
completely inelastic boundary, which has been introduced recently by  
Bertoin.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3464


8049. Expansion of the propagation of chaos for Bird and Nanbu systems
Author(s): Sylvain Rubenthaler (JAD)

Abstract: The Bird and Nanbu systems are particle systems used to  
approximate the solution of Boltzmann mollified equation. In  
particular, they have the propagation of chaos property. Following  
[GM94], we use coupling techniques and resultson branching processes  
to write an expansion of the error in the propagation of chaos in  
terms of the number of particles, for slightly more general systems  
than the ones cited above. As explained in [DMPR] and [DMPR09], this  
result will lead to the proof of the convergence of U-statistics for  
these systems.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3476


8050. Normal approximation for isolated balls in an urn allocation model
Author(s): Mathew D. Penrose

Abstract: Consider throwing $n$ balls at random into $m$ urns, each  
ball landing in urn $i$ with probability $p_i$. Let $S$ be the  
resulting number of singletons, i.e., urns containing just one ball.  
We give an error bound for the Kolmogorov distance from $S$ to the  
normal, and estimates on its variance. These show that if $n$, $m$ and  
$(p_i, 1 \leq i \leq m)$ vary in such a way that $\sup_i p_i =  
O(n^{-1})$, then $S$ satisfies a CLT if and only if $n^2 \sum_i p_i^2$  
tends to infinity, and demonstrate an optimal rate of convergence in  
the CLT in this case. In the uniform case $(p_i \equiv m^{-1}) with $m 
$ and $n$ growing proportionately, we provide bounds with better  
asymptotic constants. The proof of the error bounds are based on  
Stein's method via size-biased couplings.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3493


8051. Zonal polynomials and hypergeometric functions of quaternion  
matrix argument
Author(s): Fei Li and Yifeng Xue

Abstract: We define zonal polynomials of quaternion matrix argument  
and deduce some important formulae of zonal polynomials and  
hypergeometric functions of quaternion matrix argument. As an  
application, we give the distributions of the largest and smallest  
eigenvalues of a quaternion central Wishart matrix $W\sim\mathbb{Q}W(n, 
\Sigma)$, respectively.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3379


8052. The mean width of random polytopes circumscribed around a convex  
body
Author(s): K\'aroly J. B\"or\"oczky and Ferenc Fodor and Daniel Hug

Abstract: Let K be a d-dimensional convex body, and let $K^{(n)}$ be  
the intersection of n halfspaces containing $K$ whose bounding  
hyperplanes are independent and identically distributed. Under  
suitable distributional assumptions, we prove an asymptotic formula  
for the expectation of the difference of the mean widths of $K^{(n)}$  
and K, and another asymptotic formula for the expectation of the  
number of facets of $K^{(n)}$. These results are achieved by  
establishing an asymptotic result on weighted volume approximation of  
$K$ and by "dualizing" it using polarity.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3419


8053. Generalized Whittle-Mat$\acute{\text{E}}$rn random field as a  
model of correlated fluctuations
Author(s): S.C. Lim and L.P. Teo

Abstract: This paper considers a generalization of Gaussian random  
field with covariance function of Whittle-Mat$\acute{\text{e}}$rn  
family. Such a random field can be obtained as the solution to the  
fractional stochastic differential equation with two fractional  
orders. Asymptotic properties of the covariance functions belonging to  
this generalized Whittle-Mat$\acute{\text{e}}$rn family are studied,  
which are used to deduce the sample path properties of the random  
field. The Whittle-Mat$\acute{\text{e}}$rn field has been widely used  
in modeling geostatistical data such as sea beam data, wind speed,  
field temperature and soil data. In this article we show that  
generalized Whittle-Mat$\acute{\text{e}}$rn field provides a more  
flexible model for wind speed data.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3581


8054. Logconcave Random Graphs
Author(s): Alan Frieze and Santosh Vempala and Juan Vera

Abstract: We propose the following model of a random graph on n  
vertices. Let F be a distribution in R_+^{n(n-1)/2} with a coordinate  
for every pair i$ with 1 \le i,j \le n. Then G_{F,p} is the  
distribution on graphs with n vertices obtained by picking a random  
point X from F and defining a graph on n vertices whose edges are  
pairs ij for which X_{ij} \le p. The standard Erd\H{o}s-R\'{e}nyi  
model is the special case when F is uniform on the 0-1 unit cube. We  
examine basic properties such as the connectivity threshold for quite  
general distributions. We also consider cases where the X_{ij} are the  
edge weights in some random instance of a combinatorial optimization  
problem. By choosing suitable distributions, we can capture random  
graphs with interesting properties such as triangle-free random graphs  
and weighted random graphs with bounded total weight.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3697


8055. On a random number of disorders
Author(s): Krzysztof Szajowski

Abstract: We register a random sequence constructed based on Markov  
processes by switching between them. At two random moments $\theta_1$,  
$\theta_2$, where $0\leq \theta_1 \leq \theta_2$, the source of  
observations is changed. In effect the number of homogeneous segments  
is random. The transition probabilities of each process are known and  
\emph{a priori} distribution of the disorder moments is given. The  
various questions are formulated concerning the distribution changes  
in the model in the former research. The random number of  
distributional segments creates new problems in solutions of the  
problems formulated for model with deterministic number of segments.  
Two cases are presented in details. In the first one the objectives is  
to stop on between the disorder moments and in the second one our  
objective is to find the strategy which immediately detects the  
distribution changes. Both problems are reformulated to optimal  
stopping of the observed sequences. The detailed analysis of the  
problem is presented to show the form of optimal decision function.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3795


8056. On the global maximum of the solution to a stochastic heat  
equation with compact-support initial data
Author(s): Mohammud Foondun and Davar Khoshnevisan

Abstract: Consider a stochastic heat equation $\partial_t u = \kappa  
\partial^2_{xx}u+\sigma(u)\dot{w}$ for a space-time white noise $ 
\dot{w}$ and a constant $\kappa>0$. Under some suitable conditions on  
the the initial function $u_0$ and $\sigma$, we show that the quantity  
\limsup_{t\to\infty}t^{-1}\ln\E(\sup_{x\in\R} |u_t(x)|^2) is bounded  
away from zero and infinity by explicit multiples of $1/\kappa$. Our  
proof works by demonstrating quantitatively that the peaks of the  
stochastic process $x\mapsto u_t(x)$ are highly concentrated for  
infinitely-many large values of $t$. In the special case of the  
parabolic Anderson model--where $\sigma(u)= \lambda u$ for some $ 
\lambda>0$--this "peaking" is a way to make precise the notion of  
physical intermittency.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3814


8057. A phase diagram for a stochastic reaction diffusion system
Author(s): Carl Mueller and Roger Tribe

Abstract: In this paper a stochastic reaction diffusion system is  
considered, which models the spread of a finite population reacting  
with a non-renewable resource in the presence of individual based  
noise. A two-parameter phase diagram is established to describe the  
large time evolution, distinguishing between certain death or possible  
life of the population.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3859


8058. New Classes of Infinitely Divisible Distributions Related to the  
Goldie-Steutel-Bondesson Class
Author(s): Takahiro Aoyama and Alexander Lindner and Makoto Maejima

Abstract: Recently, many classes of infinitely divisible distributions  
on R^d have been characterized in several ways. Among others, the  
first way is to use Levy measures, the second one is to use  
transformations of Levy measures, and the third one is to use mappings  
of infinitely divisible distributions defined by stochastic integrals  
with respect to Levy processes. In this paper, we are concerned with a  
class of mappings, by which we construct new classes of infinitely  
divisible distributions on R^d. Then we study a special case in R^1,  
which is the class of infinitely divisible distributions without  
Gaussian parts generated by stochastic integrals with respect to a  
fixed compound Poisson processes on R^1. This is closely related to  
the Goldie-Steutel-Bondesson class.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3874


8059. Affine Diffusion Processes: Theory and Applications
Author(s): Damir Filipovic and Eberhard Mayerhofer

Abstract: We revisit affine diffusion processes on general and on the  
canonical state space in particular. A detailed study of theoretic and  
applied aspects of this class of Markov processes is given. In  
particular, we derive admissibility conditions and provide a full  
proof of existence and uniqueness through stochastic invariance of the  
canonical state space. Existence of exponential moments and the full  
range of validity of the affine transform formula are established.  
This is applied to the pricing of bond and stock options, which is  
illustrated for the Vasicek, Cox-Ingersoll-Ross and Heston models.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4003


8060. Limiting behaviors of the Brownian motions on hyperbolic spaces
Author(s): Hiroyuki Matsumoto

Abstract: By adopting the upper half space realizations of the real,  
complex and quaternionic hyperbolic spaces and solving the  
corresponding stochastic differential equations, we can represent the  
Brownian motions on these classical families of the hyperbolic spaces  
as explicit Wiener functionals. Using the representations, we show  
that the almost sure convergence of the Brownian motions and the  
central limit theorems for the radial components as time tends to  
infinity are easily obtained. We also give a straightforward strategy  
to obtain the explicit expressions for the Poisson kernels by  
combining the representations with some results on the distributions  
of the random variables which are defined by the perpetual (infinite)  
integrals of the usual geometric Brownian motions with negative drifts.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4028


8061. Growth Rates and Explosions in Sandpiles
Author(s): Anne Fey and Lionel Levine and Yuval Peres

Abstract: We study the abelian sandpile growth model, where n  
particles are added at the origin on a stable background configuration  
in Z^d. Any site with at least 2d particles then topples by sending  
one particle to each neighbor. We find that with constant background  
height h <= 2d-2, the diameter of the set of sites that topple has  
order n^{1/d}. This was previously known only for h

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3805


8062. Generalized kinetic Maxwell type models of granular gases
Author(s): A.V. Bobylev and C. Cercignani and I.M. Gamba

Abstract: We consider generalizations of kinetic granular gas models  
given by Boltzmann equations of Maxwell type. These type of models for  
non-linear elastic or inelastic interactions, have many applications  
in physics, dynamics of granular gases, economy, etc. We present the  
problem and develop its form in the space of characteristic functions,  
i.e. Fourier transforms of probability measures, from a very general  
point of view, including those with arbitrary polynomial non- 
linearities and in any dimension space. We find a whole class of  
generalized Maxwell models that satisfy properties that characterize  
the existence and asymptotic of dynamically scaled or self-similar  
solutions, often referred as {\em homogeneous cooling states}. Of  
particular interest is a concept interpreted as an operator  
generalization of usual Lipschitz conditions which allows to describe  
the behavior of solutions to the corresponding initial value problem.  
In particular, we present, in the most general case, existence of self  
similar solutions and study, in the sense of probability measures, the  
convergence of dynamically scaled solutions associated with the Cauchy  
problem to those self-similar solutions, as time goes to infinity. In  
addition we show that the properties of these self-similar solutions  
lead to non classical equilibrium stable states exhibiting power  
tails. These results apply to different specific problems related to  
the Boltzmann equation (with elastic and inelastic interactions) and  
show that all physically relevant properties of solutions follow  
directly from the general theory developed in this presentation.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.3864


8063. Choice-memory tradeoff in allocations
Author(s): Noga Alon and Ori Gurel-Gurevich and Eyal Lubetzky

Abstract: In the classical balls-and-bins paradigm, where n balls are  
placed independently and uniformly in n bins, typically the number of  
bins with at least two balls in them has order n and the maximum  
number of balls in a bin has order (log n)/(log log n). It is well  
known that when each round offers k independent uniform options for  
bins, it is possible to typically achieve a constant maximal load if  
and only if k is at least of order (log n). Moreover, it is possible  
whp to avoid any collisions between (n/2) balls if (k> log_2 n). In  
this work, we extend this into the setting where only m bits of memory  
are available. We establish a tradeoff between the number of choices k  
and the memory m, dictated by the quantity km/n. Roughly put, we show  
that for (k m) larger than n, one can achieve a constant maximal load,  
while for (k m) smaller than n no substantial improvement can be  
gained over the case k=1 (i.e., a random allocation). For any (k =  
\Omega(log n)) and (m = \Omega(log^2 n)), one can achieve a constant  
load whp if (k m = \Omega(n)), yet the load is unbounded if (k m  
=o(n)). Similarly, if (k m > C n) then (n/2) balls can be allocated  
without any collisions whp, whereas for (k m < \epsilon n) there are  
typically order n collisions. Furthermore, we show that the load is  
whp at least log(n/m)/[log k + log log(n/m)]. In particular, for  
k=polylog(n), if m = n^{1-\delta} the optimal maximal load is of order  
(log n)/(log log n) (the same as in the case k=1), while m=2n suffices  
to ensure a constant load. Finally, we analyze non-adaptive allocation  
algorithms and give tight upper and lower bounds for their performance.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4056


8064. Heat kernel estimates and Harnack inequalities for some  
Dirichlet forms with non-local part
Author(s): Mohammud Foondun

Abstract: We consider the Dirichlet form given by  
\sE(f,f)&=&{1/2}\int_{\bR^d}\sum_{i,j=1}^d a_{ij}(x)\frac{\partial  
f(x)}{\partial x_i} \frac{\partial f(x)}{\partial x_j} dx &+& 
\int_{\bR^d\times \bR^d} (f(y)-f(x))^2J(x,y)dxdy. Under the assumption  
that the $\{a_{ij}\}$ are symmetric and uniformly elliptic and with  
suitable conditions on $J$, the nonlocal part, we obtain upper and  
lower bounds on the heat kernel of the Dirichlet form. We also prove a  
Harnack inequality and a regularity theorem for functions that are  
harmonic with respect to $\sE$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4127


8065. On the Limiting Shape of Random Young Tableaux Associated to  
Inhomogeneous Words
Author(s): Christian Houdr\'e and Hua Xu

Abstract: The limiting shape of the random Young tableaux associated  
to the inhomogeneous word problem is identified as a multidimensional  
Brownian functional. This functional is thus identical in law to the  
spectrum of a certain matrix ensemble. The Poissonized word problem is  
also studied, and the asymptotic behavior of the shape analyzed.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4138


8066. Mixing time of critical Ising model on trees is polynomial in  
the height
Author(s): Jian Ding and Eyal Lubetzky and Yuval Peres

Abstract: In the heat-bath Glauber dynamics for the Ising model on the  
lattice, physicists believe that the spectral gap of the continuous- 
time chain exhibits the following behavior. For some critical inverse- 
temperature $\beta_c$, the inverse-gap is bounded for $\beta < \beta_c 
$, polynomial in the surface area for $\beta = \beta_c$ and  
exponential in it for $\beta > \beta_c$. This has been proved for $ 
\Z^2$ except at criticality. So far, the only underlying geometry  
where the critical behavior has been confirmed is the complete graph.  
Recently, the dynamics for the Ising model on a regular tree, also  
known as the Bethe lattice, has been intensively studied. The facts  
that the inverse-gap is bounded for $\beta < \beta_c$ and exponential  
for $\beta > \beta_c$ were established, where $\beta_c$ is the  
critical spin-glass parameter, and the tree-height $h$ plays the role  
of the surface area. In this work, we complete the picture for the  
inverse-gap of the Ising model on the $b$-ary tree, by showing that it  
is indeed polynomial in $h$ at criticality. The degree of our  
polynomial bound does not depend on $b$, and furthermore, this result  
holds under any boundary condition. We also obtain analogous bounds  
for the mixing-time of the chain. In addition, we study the near  
critical behavior, and show that for $\beta > \beta_c$, the inverse- 
gap and mixing-time are both $\exp[\Theta((\beta-\beta_c) h)]$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4152


8067. Discretization-invariant Bayesian inversion and Besov space priors
Author(s): Matti Lassas. Eero Saksman and Samuli Siltanen

Abstract: Bayesian solution of an inverse problem for indirect  
measurement $M = AU + {\mathcal{E}}$ is considered, where $U$ is a  
function on a domain of $R^d$. Here $A$ is a smoothing linear operator  
and $ {\mathcal{E}}$ is Gaussian white noise. The data is a  
realization $m_k$ of the random variable $M_k = P_kA U+P_k  
{\mathcal{E}}$, where $P_k$ is a linear, finite dimensional operator  
related to measurement device. To allow computerized inversion, the  
unknown is discretized as $U_n=T_nU$, where $T_n$ is a finite  
dimensional projection, leading to the computational measurement model  
$M_{kn}=P_k A U_n + P_k {\mathcal{E}}$. Bayes formula gives then the  
posterior distribution $\pi_{kn}(u_n | m_{kn})\sim\pi_n(u_n) \exp(- 
{1/2}\|m_{kn} - P_kA u_n\|_2^2)$ in $R^d$, and the mean $U^{CM}_{kn}:= 
\int u_n \pi_{kn}(u_n | m_k) du_n$ is considered as the reconstruction  
of $U$. We discuss a systematic way of choosing prior distributions $ 
\prior_n$ for all $n\geq n_0>0$ by achieving them as projections of a  
distribution in a infinite-dimensional limit case. Such choice of  
prior distributions is {\em discretization-invariant} in the sense  
that $\prior_n$ represent the same {\em a priori} information for all  
$n$ and that the mean $U^{CM}_{kn}$ converges to a limit estimate as  
$k,n\to\infty$. Gaussian smoothness priors and wavelet-based Besov  
space priors are shown to be discretization invariant. In particular,  
Bayesian inversion in dimension two with $B^1_{11}$ prior is related  
to penalizing the $\ell^1$ norm of the wavelet coefficients of $U$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4220


8068. Note: Random-to-front shuffles on trees
Author(s): Anders Bj\"orner

Abstract: A Markov chain is considered whose states are orderings of  
an underlying fixed tree and whose transitions are local "random-to- 
front" reorderings, driven by a probability distribution on subsets of  
the leaves. The eigenvalues of the transition matrix are determined  
using Brown's theory of random walk on semigroups.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4278


8069. Excited against the tide: A random walk with competing drifts
Author(s): Mark Holmes

Abstract: We study a random walk that has a drift $\frac{\beta}{d}$ to  
the right when located at a previously unvisited vertex and a drift $ 
\frac{\mu}{d}$ to the left otherwise. We prove that in high  
dimensions, for every $\mu$, the drift to the right is a strictly  
increasing and continuous function of $\beta$, and that there is  
precisely one value $\beta_0(\mu,d)$ for which the resulting speed is  
zero.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4393


8070. Uniform shrinking and expansion under isotropic Brownian flows
Author(s): Peter Baxendale and Georgi Dimitroff

Abstract: We study some finite time transport properties of isotropic  
Brownian flows. Under a certain nondegeneracy condition on the  
potential spectral measure, we prove that uniform shrinking or  
expansion of balls under the flow over some bounded time interval can  
happen with positive probability. We also provide a control theorem  
for isotropic Brownian flows with drift. Finally, we apply the above  
results to show that under the nondegeneracy condition the length of a  
rectifiable curve evolving in an isotropic Brownian flow with strictly  
negative top Lyapunov exponent converges to zero as $t\to \infty$ with  
positive probability.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4414


8071. Regeneration in Random Combinatorial Structures
Author(s): Alexander V. Gnedin

Abstract: Theory of Kingman's partition structures has two culminating  
points: the general paintbox representation, relating finite  
partitions to hypothetical infinite populations via a natural sampling  
procedure, known as Kingman's paintbox; a central example of the  
theory - the Ewens-Pitman two-parameter family of partitions. In these  
notes we further develop the theory by passing to structures enriched  
by the order on the collection of categories; extending the class of  
tractable models by exploring the idea of regeneration; analysing  
regenerative properties of the Ewens-Pitman partitions; studying  
asymptotic features of the regenerative compositions.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4444


8072. Exact confidence intervals for the Hurst parameter of a  
fractional Brownian motion
Author(s): Jean-Christophe Breton (MIA) and Ivan Nourdin (PMA) and  
Giovanni Peccati (MODAL'X)

Abstract: In this short note, we show how to use concentration  
inequalities in order to build exact confidence intervals for the  
Hurst parameter associated with a one-dimensional fractional Brownian  
motion

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4456


8073. Universality of the Pearcey process
Author(s): Mark Adler and Nicolas Orantin and Pierre van Moerbeke

Abstract: Consider non-intersecting Brownian motions on the line  
leaving from the origin and forced to two arbitrary points. Letting  
the number of Brownian particles tend to infinity, and upon rescaling,  
there is a point of bifurcation, where the support of the density of  
particles goes from one interval to two intervals. In this paper, we  
show that at that very point of bifurcation a cusp appears, near which  
the Brownian paths fluctuate like the Pearcey process. This is a  
universality result within this class of problems. Tracy and Widom  
obtained such a result in the symmetric case, when the two target  
points are symmetric with regard to the origin. This asymmetry enabled  
us to improve considerably a result concerning the non-linear partial  
differential equations governing the transition probabilities for the  
Pearcey process, obtained by Adler and van Moerbeke.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4520


8074. Is the critical percolation probability local?
Author(s): Itai Benjamini and Asaf Nachmias and Yuval Peres

Abstract: We show that the critical probability for percolation on a d- 
regular non-amenable graph of large girth is close to the critical  
probability for percolation on an infinite d-regular tree. This is a  
special case of a conjecture due to O. Schramm on the locality of p_c.  
We also prove a finite analogue of the conjecture for expander graphs.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4616


8075. Nagaev method via Keller-Liverani theorem
Author(s): Lo\"ic Herv\'e (IRMAR) and Fran\c{c}oise P\`ene (LM)

Abstract: Nagaev's method, via the perturbation operator theorem of  
Keller and Liverani, has been exploited in recent papers to establish  
local limit and Berry-Essen type theorems for unbounded functionals of  
strongly ergodic Markov chains. The main difficulty of this approach  
is to prove Taylor expansions for the dominating eigenvalue of the  
Fourier kernels. This paper outlines this method and extends it by  
proving a multi-dimensional local limit theorem, a first-order  
Edgeworth expansion, and a multi-dimensional Berry-Esseen type theorem  
in the sense of Prohorov metric. When applied to uniformly or  
geometrically ergodic chains and to iterative Lipschitz models, the  
above cited limit theorems hold under moment conditions similar, or  
close, to those of the i.i.d. case.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4617


8076. A survey on dynamical percolation
Author(s): Jeffrey E. Steif

Abstract: Percolation is one of the simplest and nicest models in  
probability theory/statistical mechanics which exhibits critical  
phenomena. Dynamical percolation is a model where a simple time  
dynamics is added to the (ordinary) percolation model. This dynamical  
model exhibits very interesting behavior. Our goal in thissurvey is to  
give an overview of the work in dynamical percolation that has been  
done (and some of which is in the process of being written up).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4760


8077. A stochastic calculus for multidimensional fractional Brownian  
motion with arbitrary Hurst index
Author(s): Jeremie Unterberger (IECN)

Abstract: We construct in this article an explicit rough path over a  
multi-dimensional fractional Brownian motion $B$ with arbitrary Hurst  
index $H$ (in particular, for $H<1/4$) by regularizing an associated  
random Fourier series defined in \cite{Unt08}. The regularization  
procedure is applied to 'Fourier normal ordered' iterated integrals  
obtained by permuting the order of integration so that innermost  
integrals have highest Fourier modes. The algebraic properties of this  
rough path are best understood using the Hopf algebra structure of the  
algebra of decorated rooted trees. Rough path theory gives then a  
general procedure to define a stochastic calculus and solve stochastic  
differential equations driven by this very irregular process. A  
variant of our regularization scheme is also expected to apply to  
arbitrary deterministic H\"older paths. The last section is also  
dedicated to the definition of a related two-dimensional Gaussian  
process, called {\em antisymmetric two-dimensional fractional Brownian  
motion}, with the same regularity as $B$ but with dependent  
components, to which the above construction extends naturally.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4771


8078. Weak KAM methods and ergodic optimal problems for countable  
Markov shifts
Author(s): Rodrigo Bissacot and Eduardo Garibaldi

Abstract: Let $\sigma$: S -> S be the left shift acting on S, a one- 
sided Markov subshift on a countable alphabet. Our intention is to  
guarantee the existence of $\sigma$-invariant Borel probabilities that  
maximize the integral of a given locally H\"older continuous potential  
A:S -> R. Under certain conditions, we are able to show not only that  
A-maximizing probabilities do exist, but also that they are  
characterized by the fact their support lies actually in a particular  
Markov subshift on a finite alphabet. To that end, we make use of  
objects dual to maximizing measures, the so-called sub-actions  
(concept analogous to subsolutions of the Hamilton-Jacobi equation),  
and specially the calibrated sub-actions (notion similar to weak KAM  
solutions).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4640


8079. Ergodicity of multiplicative statistics
Author(s): Yuri Yakubovich

Abstract: For a subfamily of multiplicative measures on integer  
partitions we give conditions for properly rescaled associated Young  
diagrams to converge in probability to a certain deterministic curve  
named the limit shape of partitions. We provide explicit formulas for  
the scaling function and the limit shape covering some known and some  
new examples.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4655


8080. Scaled limit and rate of convergence for the largest eigenvalue  
from the generalized Cauchy random matrix ensemble
Author(s): Joseph Najnudel and Ashkan Nikeghbali and Felix Rubin

Abstract: In this paper, we are interested in the asymptotic  
properties for the largest eigenvalue of the Hermitian random matrix  
ensemble, called the Generalized Cauchy ensemble $GCy$, whose  
eigenvalues PDF is given by $$\textrm{const}\cdot\prod_{1\leq j-1/2$  
and where $N$ is the size of the matrix ensemble. Using results by  
Borodin and Olshanski \cite{Borodin-Olshanski}, we first prove that  
for this ensemble, the largest eigenvalue divided by $N$ converges in  
law to some probability distribution for all $s$ such that $ 
\Re(s)>-1/2$. Using results by Forrester and Witte \cite{Forrester- 
Witte2} on the distribution of the largest eigenvalue for fixed $N$,  
we also express the limiting probability distribution in terms of some  
non-linear second order differential equation. Eventually, we show  
that the convergence of the probability distribution function of the  
re-scaled largest eigenvalue to the limiting one is at least of order $ 
(1/N)$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4800


8081. Wick Calculus For Nonlinear Gaussian Functionals
Author(s): Yaozhong Hu and Jia-an Yan

Abstract: This paper surveys some results on Wick product and Wick  
renormalization. The framework is the abstract Wiener space. Some  
known results on Wick product and Wick renormalization in the white  
noise analysis framework are presented for classical random variables.  
Some conditions are described for random variables whose Wick product  
or whose renormalization are integrable random variables. Relevant  
results on multiple Wiener integrals, second quantization operator,  
Malliavin calculus and their relations with the Wick product and Wick  
renormalization are also briefly presented. A useful tool for Wick  
product is the $S$-transform which is also described without the  
introduction of generalized random variables.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4911


8082. Parameter estimation for fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes
Author(s): Yaozhong Hu and David Nualart

Abstract: We study a least squares estimator $\hat {\theta}_T$ for the  
Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, $dX_t=\theta X_t dt+\sigma dB^H_t$, driven  
by fractional Brownian motion $B^H$ with Hurst parameter $H\ge  
\frac12$. We prove the strong consistence of $\hat {\theta}_T$ (the  
almost surely convergence of $\hat {\theta}_T$ to the true parameter $ 
{% \theta}$). We also obtain the rate of this convergence when $1/2\le  
H<3/4$, applying a central limit theorem for multiple Wiener  
integrals. This least squares estimator can be used to study other  
more simulation friendly estimators such as the estimator $\tilde  
\theta_T$ defined by (4.1).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4925


8083. A note on adiabatic theorem for Markov chains and adiabatic  
quantum computation
Author(s): Yevgeniy Kovchegov

Abstract: We derive an adiabatic theorem for Markov chains using well  
known facts about mixing and relaxation times. We discuss the results  
in the context of the recent developments in adiabatic quantum  
computation.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4954


8084. On generalized Cauchy-Stieltjes transforms of some Beta  
distributions
Author(s): Nizar Demni

Abstract: We express generalized Cauchy-Stieltjes transforms of some  
particular Beta distributions (of ultraspherical type generating  
functions for orthogonal polynomials) as a powered Cauchy-Stieltjes  
transform of some measure. For suitable values of the power parameter,  
the latter measure turns out to be a probability measure and its  
density is written down using Markov transforms. The discarded values  
give a negative answer to a deformed free probability unless a  
restriction on the power parameter is made. A particular symmetric  
distribution interpolating between Wigner and arcsine distributions is  
obtained. Its moments are expressed through a terminating  
hypergeometric series interpolating between Catalan and shifed Catalan  
numbers. for small values of the power parameter, the free cumulants  
are computed. Interesting opne problems related to a deformed  
representation theory of the infinite symmetric group and to a  
deformed Bozejko's convolution are discussed.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0054


8085. On Brownian motion on the plane with membranes on rays with a  
common endpoint
Author(s): Olga V. Aryasova and Andrey Yu. Pilipenko

Abstract: We consider a Brownian motion on the plane with  
semipermeable membranes on n rays that have a common endpoint in the  
origin. We obtain the necessary and sufficient conditions for the  
process to reach the origin and we show that the probability of  
hitting the origin is equal to zero or one.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0067


8086. Palm pairs and the general mass-transport principle
Author(s): Daniel Gentner and G\"unter Last

Abstract: We consider a lcsc group G acting properly on a Borel space  
S and measurably on an underlying sigma-finite measure space. Our  
first main result is a transport formula connecting the Palm pairs of  
jointly stationary random measures on S. A key (and new) technical  
result is a measurable disintegration of the Haar measure on G along  
the orbits. The second main result is an intrinsic characterization of  
the Palm pairs of a G-invariant random measure. We then proceed with  
deriving a general version of the mass-transport principle for  
possibly non-transitive and non-unimodular group operations first in a  
deterministic and then in its full probabilistic form.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0068


8087. Cutpoints and resistance of random walk paths
Author(s): Itai Benjamini and Ori Gurel-Gurevich and Oded Schramm

Abstract: We construct a bounded degree graph G, such that a simple  
random walk on it is transient but the random walk path (i.e., the  
subgraph of all the edges the random walk has crossed) has only  
finitely many cutpoints, almost surely. We also prove that the  
expected number of cutpoints of any transient Markov chain is  
infinite. This answers two questions of James, Lyons and Peres.  
Additionally, we consider a simple random walk on a finite connected  
graph G that starts at some fixed vertex x and is stopped when it  
first visits some other fixed vertex y. We provide a lower bound on  
the expected effective resistance between x and y in the path of the  
walk, giving a partial answer to a question raised in http://arxiv.org/abs/math/0603060

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0115


8088. A passage to the Poisson-Dirichlet through the Bessel square  
processes
Author(s): Soumik Pal

Abstract: This principal result in this article is that every Poisson- 
Dirichlet distribution PD(0,a) is an asymptotically invariant  
distribution for a growing collection of independent Bessel square  
processes of dimension zero divided by their total sum, under the  
condition that the sum total of their initial values grows to infinity  
in probability. Implications in several areas of Probability theory  
have been discussed, including Brownian local time, Fernholz &  
Karatzas's Volatility Stabilized Market models of Mathematical  
Finance, Watterson's Infinitely Many Neutral Alleles model in  
Statistical Genetics, branching Bessel diffusions, and the Poisson- 
Dirichlet cascades. A key step involves generalization of a polar  
decomposition result involving squared Bessel processes that was  
observed by Warren & Yor in their study of the Brownian burglar.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0116


8089. Variance decay for functionals of the environment viewed by the  
particle
Author(s): Jean-Christophe Mourrat

Abstract: For the random walk among random conductances, we prove an  
algebraic decay of the variance of a large class of functionals of the  
environment viewed by the particle, our main hypothesis being that the  
conductances are bounded away from zero. The basis of our method is  
the establishment of a Nash inequality, followed either by a  
comparison with the simple random walk or by a more direct analysis  
based on a martingale decomposition. As an example of application, we  
show that under certain conditions, our results imply an estimate of  
the speed of convergence of the mean square displacement of the walk  
towards its limit.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0204


8090. Critical behavior in inhomogeneous random graphs
Author(s): Remco van der Hofstad

Abstract: We study the critical behavior of inhomogeneous random  
graphs where edges are present independently but with unequal edge  
occupation probabilities. We show that the critical behavior depends  
sensitively on the properties of the asymptotic degrees. Indeed, when  
the proportion of vertices with degree at least $k$ is bounded above  
by $k^{-\tau+1}$ for some $\tau>4$, the largest critical connected  
component is of order $n^{2/3}$, where $n$ denotes the size of the  
graph, as on the Erd\H{o}s-R\'enyi random graph. The restriction $ 
\tau>4$ corresponds to finite {\it third} moment of the degrees. When,  
the proportion of vertices with degree at least $k$ is asymptotically  
equal to $ck^{-\tau+1}$ for some $\tau\in (3,4),$ the largest critical  
connected component is of order $n^{(\tau-2)/(\tau-1)},$ instead. Our  
results show that, for inhomogeneous random graphs with a power-law  
degree sequence, the critical behavior admits a transition when the  
third moment of the degrees turns from finite to infinite. Similar  
phase transitions have been shown to occur for typical distances in  
such random graphs when the variance of the degrees turns from finite  
to infinite. We present further results related to the size of the  
critical or scaling window, and state conjectures for this and related  
random graph models.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0216


8091. Shelf Life of Candidates in the Generalized Secretary Problem
Author(s): Krzysztof Szajowski and Mitsushi Tamaki

Abstract: A version of the secretary problem called the duration  
problem, in which the objective is to maximize the time of possession  
of relatively best objects or the second best, is treated. It is shown  
that in this duration problem there are threshold numbers $(k_1^ 
\star,k_2^\star)$ such that the optimal strategy immediately selects a  
relatively best object if it appears after time $k_1^\star$ and a  
relatively second best object if it appears after moment $k_2^\star$.  
When number of objects tends to infinity the thresholds values are $ 
\lfloor 0.417188N\rfloor$ and $\rfloor 0.120381N\rfloor$,  
respectively. The asymptotic mean time of shelf life of the object is  
$0.403827N$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0232


8092. On Stein's method for multivariate normal approximation
Author(s): Elizabeth S. Meckes

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the approaches  
taken by Chatterjee-Meckes and Reinert-R\"ollin in adapting Stein's  
method of exchangeable pairs for multivariate normal approximation.  
The more general linear regression condition of Reinert-R\"ollin  
allows for wider applicability of the method, while the method of  
bounding the solution of the Stein equation due to Chatterjee-Meckes  
allows for improved convergence rates. Two abstract normal  
approximation theorems are proved, one for use when the underlying  
symmetries of the random variables are discrete, and one for use in  
contexts in which continuous symmetry groups are present. The  
application to runs on the line from Reinert-R\"ollin is reworked to  
demonstrate the improvement in convergence rates, and a new  
application to joint value distributions of eigenfunctions of the  
Laplace-Beltrami operator on a compact Riemannian manifold is presented.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0333


8093. Fermionic construction of tau functions and random processes
Author(s): John Harnad and Alexander Yu. Orlov

Abstract: Tau functions expressed as fermionic expectation values are  
shown to provide a natural and straightforward description of a number  
of random processes and statistical models involving hard core  
configurations of identical particles on the integer lattice, like a  
discrete version simple exclusion processes (ASEP), nonintersecting  
random walkers, lattice Coulomb gas models and others, as well as  
providing a powerful tool for combinatorial calculations involving  
paths between pairs of partitions. We study the decay of the initial  
step function within the discrete ASEP (d-ASEP) model as an example.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0704.1157


8094. Clustering Bounds on N-Point Correlations for Unbounded Spin  
Systems
Author(s): Abdelmalek Abdesselam and Aldo Procacci and Benedetto  
Scoppola

Abstract: We prove clustering estimates for the truncated  
correlations, i.e., cumulants of an unbounded spin system on the  
lattice. We provide a unified treatment, based on cluster expansion  
techniques, of four different regimes: large mass, small interaction  
between sites, large self-interaction, as well as the more delicate  
small self-interaction or `low temperature' regime. A clustering  
estimate in the latter regime is needed for the Bosonic case of the  
recent result obtained by Lukkarinen and Spohn on the rigorous control  
on kinetic scales of quantum fluids.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.4756


8095. Very large graphs
Author(s): Laszlo Lovasz

Abstract: In the last decade it became apparent that a large number of  
the most interesting structures and phenomena of the world can be  
described by networks: separable elements, with connections (or  
interactions) between certain pairs of them. These huge networks pose  
exciting challenges for the mathematician. Graph Theory (the  
mathematical theory of networks) faces novel, unconventional problems:  
these very large networks (like the Internet) are never completely  
known, in most cases they are not even well defined. Data about them  
can be collected only by indirect means like random local sampling.  
Dense networks (in which a node is adjacent to a positive percent of  
others nodes) and sparse networks (in which a node has a bounded  
number of neighbors) show very different behavior. From a practical  
point of view, sparse networks are more important, but at present we  
have more complete theoretical results for dense networks. The paper  
surveys relations with probability, algebra, extrema graph theory, and  
analysis.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0132


8096. Carries, shuffling, and symmetric functions
Author(s): Persi Diaconis and Jason Fulman

Abstract: The "carries" when n random numbers are added base b form a  
Markov chain with an "amazing" transition matrix determined by Holte.  
This same Markov chain occurs in following the number of descents or  
rising sequences when n cards are repeatedly riffle shuffled. We give  
generating and symmetric function proofs and determine the rate of  
convergence of this Markov chain to stationarity. Similar results are  
given for type B shuffles. We also develop connections with Gaussian  
autoregressive processes and the Veronese mapping of commutative  
algebra.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0179


8097. Poset limits and exchangeable random posets
Author(s): Svante Janson

Abstract: We develop a theory of limits of finite posets in close  
analogy to the recent theory of graph limits. In particular, we study  
representations of the limits by functions of two variables on a  
probability space, and connections to exchangeable random infinite  
posets.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0306


8098. Random symmetrizations of measurable sets
Author(s): Aljosa Volcic

Abstract: In this paper we prove almost sure convergence to the ball,  
in the Nikodym metric, of sequences of random Steiner symmetrizations  
of bounded Caccioppoli and bounded measurable sets, paralleling a  
result due to Mani-Levitska concerning convex bodies.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0462


8099. A L\'{e}vy input model with additional state-dependent services
Author(s): Zbigniew Palmowski and Maria Vlasiou

Abstract: We consider a queuing model with the workload evolving  
between consecutive i.i.d. exponential timers $\{e_q^{(i)} 
\}_{i=1,2,...}$ according to a spectrally positive L\'{e}vy process  
$Y(t)$ which is reflected at 0. When the exponential clock $e_q^{(i)}$  
ends, the additional state-dependent service requirement modifies the  
workload so that the latter is equal to $F_i(Y(e_q^{(i)}))$ at epoch  
$e^{(1)}_q+...+e^{(i)}_q$ for some random nonnegative i.i.d.  
functionals $F_i$. In particular, we focus on the case when  
$F_i(y)=(B_i-y)^+$, where $\{B_i\}_{i=1,2,...}$ are i.i.d. nonnegative  
random variables. We analyse the steady-state workload distribution  
for this model.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0485


8100. Discretizing the fractional Levy area
Author(s): Andreas Neuenkirch and Samy Tindel (IECN) and J\'er\'emie  
Unterberger (IECN)

Abstract: In this article, we give sharp bounds for the Euler- and  
trapezoidal discretization of the Levy area associated to a d- 
dimensional fractional Brownian motion. We show that there are three  
different regimes for the exact root mean-square convergence rate of  
the Euler scheme. For H<3/4 the exact convergence rate is n^{-2H+1/2},  
where n denotes the number of the discretization subintervals, while  
for H=3/4 it is n^{-1} (log(n))^{1/2} and for H>3/4 the exact rate is  
n^{-1}. Moreover, the trapezoidal scheme has exact convergence rate  
n^{-2H+1/2} for H>1/2. Finally, we also derive the asymptotic error  
distribution of the Euler scheme. For H lesser than 3/4 one obtains a  
Gaussian limit, while for H>3/4 the limit distribution is of  
Rosenblatt type.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0497


8101. Convergence of multi-class systems of fixed possibly infinite  
sizes
Author(s): Carl Graham (CMAP)

Abstract: Multi-class systems having possibly both finite and infinite  
classes are investigated under a natural partial exchangeability  
assumption. It is proved that the conditional law of such a system,  
given the vector of the empirical measures of its finite classes and  
directing measures of its infinite ones (given by the de Finetti  
Theorem), corresponds to sampling independently from each class,  
without replacement from the finite classes and i.i.d. from the  
directing measure for the infinite ones. The equivalence between the  
convergence of multi-exchangeable systems with fixed class sizes and  
the convergence of the corresponding vectors of measures is then  
established.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0539


8102. A Bernstein type inequality and moderate deviations for weakly  
dependent sequences
Author(s): Florence Merlev\`ede (LAMA) and Magda Peligrad and Emmanuel  
Rio (LM-Versailles, INRIA Bordeaux - Sud-Ouest)

Abstract: In this paper we present a tail inequality for the maximum  
of partial sums of a weakly dependent sequence of random variables  
that are not necessarily bounded. The class considered includes  
geometrically and subgeometrically strongly mixing sequences. The  
result is then used to derive asymptotic moderate deviations results.  
Applications include classes of Markov chains, functions of linear  
processes with absolutely regular innovations and ARCH models

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0582


8103. Variance limite d'une marche al\'eatoire r\'eversible en milieu  
al\'eatoire sur Z (Limit of the Variance of a Reversible Random Walk  
in Random Medium on Z)
Author(s): J\'er\^ome Depauw (LMPT and FRDP) and Jean-Marc Derrien (LM- 
Brest)

Abstract: The Central Limit Theorem for the random walk on a  
stationary random network of conductances has been studied by several  
authors. In one dimension, when conductances and resistances are  
integrable, and following a method of martingale introduced by S.  
Kozlov (1985), we can prove the Quenched Central Limit Theorem. In  
that case the variance of the limit law is not null. When resistances  
are not integrable, the Annealed Central Limit Theorem with null  
variance was established by Y. Derriennic and M. Lin (personal  
communication). The quenched version of this last theorem is proved  
here, by using a very simple method. The similar problem for the  
continuous diffusion is then considered. Finally our method allows us  
to prove an inequality for the quadratic mean of a diffusion (X_t)_t  
at all time t.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0584


8104. Belief propagation : an asymptotically optimal algorithm for the  
random assignment problem
Author(s): Justin Salez (INRIA Rocquencourt) and Devavrat Shah (MIT)

Abstract: The random assignment problem asks for the minimum-cost  
perfect matching in the complete $n\times n$ bipartite graph $\Knn$  
with i.i.d. edge weights, say uniform on $[0,1]$. In a remarkable work  
by Aldous (2001), the optimal cost was shown to converge to $\zeta(2)$  
as $n\to\infty$, as conjectured by M\'ezard and Parisi (1987) through  
the so-called cavity method. The latter also suggested a non-rigorous  
decentralized strategy for finding the optimum, which turned out to be  
an instance of the Belief Propagation (BP) heuristic discussed by  
Pearl (1987). In this paper we use the objective method to analyze the  
performance of BP as the size of the underlying graph becomes large.  
Specifically, we establish that the dynamic of BP on $\Knn$ converges  
in distribution as $n\to\infty$ to an appropriately defined dynamic on  
the Poisson Weighted Infinite Tree, and we then prove correlation  
decay for this limiting dynamic. As a consequence, we obtain that BP  
finds an asymptotically correct assignment in $O(n^2)$ time only. This  
contrasts with both the worst-case upper bound for convergence of BP  
derived by Bayati, Shah and Sharma (2005) and the best-known  
computational cost of $\Theta(n^3)$ achieved by Edmonds and Karp's  
algorithm (1972).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0585


8105. Heat Conduction Networks: Disposition of Heat Baths and  
Invariant Measure
Author(s): Alain Camanes (LMJL)

Abstract: We consider a model of heat conduction networks consisting  
of oscillators in contact with heat baths at different temperatures.  
Our aim is to generalize the results concerning the existence and  
uniqueness of the stationnary state already obtained when the network  
is reduced to a chain of particles. Using Lasalle's principle, we  
establish a condition on the disposition of the heat baths among the  
network that ensures the uniqueness of the invariant measure. We will  
show that this condition is sharp when the oscillators are linear.  
Moreover, when the interaction between the particles is stronger than  
the pinning, we prove that this condition implies the existence of the  
invariant measure.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0586


8106. On Small Perturbations of a Spin Glass System
Author(s): Louis-Pierre Arguin and Nicola Kistler

Abstract: We show through a simple example that perturbations of the  
Hamiltonian of a spin glass which cannot be detected at the level of  
the free energy can completely alter the behavior of the overlap. In  
particular, perturbations of order O(log N), with N the size of the  
system, suffice to have ultrametricity emerge in the thermodynamical  
limit.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0294


8107. Some Rigorous Results on Semiflexible Polymers. I. Free and  
confined polymers
Author(s): Ostap Hryniv and Yvan Velenik

Abstract: We introduce a class of models of semiflexible polymers. The  
latter are characterized by a strong rigidity, the correlation length  
associated to the gradient-gradient correlations, called the  
persistence length, being of the same order as the polymer length. We  
determine the macroscopic scaling limit, from which we deduce bounds  
on the free energy of a polymer confined inside a narrow tube.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0694


8108. A Finitization of the Bead Process
Author(s): Benjamin J. Fleming and Peter J. Forrester and Eric  
Nordenstam

Abstract: The bead process is the particle system defined on parallel  
lines, with underlying measure giving constant weight to all  
configurations in which particles on neighbouring lines interlace, and  
zero weight otherwise. Motivated by the statistical mechanical model  
of the tiling of an $abc$-hexagon by three species of rhombi, a  
finitized version of the bead process is defined. The corresponding  
joint distribution can be realized as an eigenvalue probability  
density function for a sequence of random matrices. The finitized bead  
process is determinantal, and we give the correlation kernel in terms  
of Jacobi polynomials. Two scaling limits are considered: a global  
limit in which the spacing between lines goes to zero, and a certain  
bulk scaling limit. In the global limit the shape of the support of  
the particles is determined, while in the bulk scaling limit the bead  
process kernel of Boutillier is reclaimed, after approriate  
identification of the anisotropy parameter therein.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0709


8109. A few ideas about quantitative convergence of collison models to  
the mean field limit
Author(s): Remi Peyre

Abstract: We consider a stochastic N-particle model for the spatially  
homogeneous Boltzmann evolution and show its convergence to the  
associated Boltzmann equation when N tends to infinity. More  
precisely, for any time T>0 we bound over the distance between the  
empirical measure of the particle system and the measure given by  
Boltzmann evolution. That distance is computed in some homogeneous  
Sobolev space. The control we get is Gaussian, i.e. we prove that the  
distance is bigger than $x N^{-1/2}$ with a probability of type $e^{- 
x^2}$ at most. The two ingredients needed are first a control of  
fluctuations due to the discrete nature of collisions, secondly a kind  
of Lipschitz continuity for the Boltzmann collision kernel. The latter  
condition, in our present setting, is only satisfied for Maxwellian  
models. We also have to control the initial situation of the particle  
evolution, which we do by a kind of Chernoff inequality for the i.i.d.  
case. Numerical applications tend to show that our results are useful  
in practice.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0721


8110. Isoperimetry for spherically symmetric log-concave probability  
measures
Author(s): Nolwen Huet (IMT)

Abstract: We prove an isoperimetric inequality for probability  
measures $\mu$ on $\mathbb{R}^n$ with density proportional to $\exp(- 
\phi(\lambda | x|))$, where $|x|$ is the euclidean norm on $ 
\mathbb{R}^n$ and $\phi$ is a non-decreasing convex function. It  
applies in particular when $\phi(x)=x^\alpha$ with $\alpha\ge1$. Under  
mild assumptions on $\phi$, the inequality is dimension-free if $ 
\lambda$ is chosen such that the covariance of $\mu$ is the identity.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0743


8111. Correlated Drainage Model
Author(s): Siva Athreya and Sreekar Vadlamani

Abstract: In this article we present an example of a random oriented  
tree model on d-dimensional lattice, that is a forest in d=3 with  
positive probability. This is in contrast with the other random tree  
models in the literature which are a forest only when d strictly  
greater than 3.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0762


8112. Total Current Fluctuations in ASEP
Author(s): Craig A. Tracy and Harold Widom

Abstract: A limit theorem for the total current in the asymmetric  
simple exclusion process (ASEP) with step initial condition is proved.  
This extends the result of Johansson on TASEP to ASEP.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0821


8113. Univariate approximations in the infinite occupancy scheme
Author(s): A. D. Barbour

Abstract: The paper concerns the classical occupancy scheme with  
infinitely many boxes. We establish approximations to the  
distributions of the number of occupied boxes, and of the number of  
boxes containing exactly r balls, within the family of translated  
Poisson distributions. These are shown to be of ideal asymptotic  
order, with respect both to total variation distance and to the  
approximation of point probabilities. The proof is probabilistic,  
making use of a translated Poisson approximation theorem of R\"ollin  
(2005).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0879


8114. Translated Poisson approximation to equilibrium distributions of  
Markov population processes
Author(s): Sanda N. Socoll and A. D. Barbour

Abstract: The paper is concerned with the equilibrium distributions of  
continuous-time density dependent Markov processes on the integers.  
These distributions are known typically to be approximately normal,  
and the approximation error, as measured in Kolmogorov distance, is of  
the smallest order that is compatible with their having integer  
support. Here, an approximation in the much stronger total variation  
norm is established, without any loss in the asymptotic order of  
accuracy; the approximating distribution is a translated Poisson  
distribution having the same variance and (almost) the same mean. Our  
arguments are based on the Stein-Chen method and Dynkin's formula.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0884


8115. Local limit approximations for Markov population processes
Author(s): Sanda N. Socoll and A. D. Barbour

Abstract: The paper is concerned with the equilibrium distribution $ 
\Pi_n$ of the $n$-th element in a sequence of continuous-time density  
dependent Markov processes on the integers. Under a $(2+\a)$-th moment  
condition on the jump distributions, we establish a bound of order  
$O(n^{-(\a+1)/2}\sqrt{\log n})$ on the difference between the point  
probabilities of $\Pi_n$ and those of a translated Poisson  
distribution with the same variance. Except for the factor $\sqrt{\log  
n}$, the result is as good as could be obtained in the simpler setting  
of sums of independent integer-valued random variables. Our arguments  
are based on the Stein-Chen method and coupling.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0886


8116. Random Walks on Directed Covers of Graphs
Author(s): Lorenz A. Gilch and Sebastian M\"uller

Abstract: Directed covers of finite graphs are also known as periodic  
trees or trees with finitely many cone types. We expand the existing  
theory of directed covers of finite graphs to those of infinite  
graphs. While the lower growth rate still equals the branching number,  
upper and lower growth rate do not longer coincide in general.  
Furthermore, the behaviour of random walks on directed covers of  
infinite graphs is more subtile. We provide a classification in  
recurrence and transience and point out that the critical random walk  
may be recurrent or transient. Our proof is based on the observation  
that recurrence of the random walk is equivalent to the almost sure  
extinction of an appropriate branching process. Two examples in random  
environment are provided: homesick random walk on infinite percolation  
clusters and random walk in random environment on directed covers.  
Furthermore, we calculate, under reasonable assumptions, the rate of  
escape with respect to suitable length functions and prove the  
existence of the asymptotic entropy including an explicit formula  
which is also a new result for directed covers of finite graphs. In  
particular, the asymptotic entropy of random walks on directed covers  
of finite graphs is positive if and only if the random walk is  
transient.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0908


8117. About Gaussian filtering problems with general exponential  
quadratic criteria
Author(s): M.L.Keptsyna and A.Le Breton and M.Viot

Abstract: Filtering problems with general exponential quadratic  
criteria are investigated for Gauss-Markov processes. In this setting,  
the Linear Exponential Gaussian and Risk-Sensitive filtering problems  
are solved and it is shown that they may have different solutions.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0940


8118. Randomized Kaczmarz solver for noisy linear systems
Author(s): Deanna Needell

Abstract: The Kaczmarz method is an iterative algorithm for solving  
systems of linear equations Ax=b. Theoretical convergence rates for  
this algorithm were largely unknown until recently when work was done  
on a randomized version of the algorithm. It was proved that for  
overdetermined systems, the randomized Kaczmarz method converges with  
expected exponential rate, independent of the number of equations in  
the system. Here we analyze the case where the system Ax=b is  
corrupted by noise, so we consider the system where Ax is  
approximately b + r where r is an arbitrary error vector. We prove  
that in this noisy version, the randomized method reaches an error  
threshold dependent on the matrix A with the same rate as in the error- 
free case. We provide examples showing our results are sharp in the  
general context.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.0958


8119. Transience/Recurrence and the speed of a one-dimensional random  
walk in a "have your cookie and eat it" environment
Author(s): Ross Pinsky

Abstract: Consider a simple random walk on the integers with the  
following transition mechanism. At each site $x$, the probability of  
jumping to the right is $\omega(x)\in[\frac12,1)$, until the first  
time the process jumps to the left from site $x$, from which time  
onward the probability of jumping to the right is $\frac12$. We  
investigate the transience/recurrence properties of this process in  
both deterministic and stationary, ergodic environments $\{\omega(x) 
\}_{x\in Z}$. In deterministic environments, we also study the speed  
of the process.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1026


8120. Multiple orthogonal polynomial ensembles
Author(s): Arno B.J. Kuijlaars

Abstract: Multiple orthogonal polynomials are traditionally studied  
because of their connections to number theory and approximation  
theory. In recent years they were found to be connected to certain  
models in random matrix theory. In this paper we introduce the notion  
of a multiple orthogonal polynomial ensemble (MOP ensemble) and derive  
some of their basic properties. It is shown that Angelesco and  
Nikishin systems give rise to MOP ensembles and that the equilibrium  
problems that are associated with these systems have a natural  
interpretation in the context of MOP ensembles.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1058


8121. Extremes of Levy processes with light tails
Author(s): Michael Braverman

Abstract: We give conditions under which the tail probability of the  
supremum over unit interval of a Levy process with light tail is  
equivalent to the tail of the value of the process at the right  
endpoint.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1075


8122. Asymptotic directions in random walks in random environment  
revisited
Author(s): Alexander Drewitz and Alejandro F. Ram\'irez

Abstract: Recently Simenhaus proved that for any elliptic random walk  
in random environment, transience in the neighborhood of a given  
direction is equivalent to the a.s. existence of a deterministic  
asymptotic direction and to transience in any direction in the open  
half space defined by this asymptotic direction. Here we prove an  
improved version of this result and review some open problems.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1115


8123. Probabilistic Representation of Weak Solutions of Partial  
Differential Equations with Polynomial Growth Coefficients
Author(s): Qi Zhang and Huaizhong Zhao

Abstract: In this paper we develop a new weak convergence and compact  
embedding method to study the existence and uniqueness of the  
$L_{\rho}^2({\mathbb{R}^{d}};{\mathbb{R}^{1}})\otimes  
L_{\rho}^2({\mathbb{R}^{d}};{\mathbb{R}^{d}})$ valued solution of  
backward stochastic differential equations with p-growth coefficients.  
Then we establish the probabilistic representation of the weak  
solution of PDEs with p-growth coefficients via corresponding BSDEs.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1148


8124. On the spread of supercritical random graphs
Author(s): Louigi Addario-Berry and Svante Janson and Colin McDiarmid

Abstract: The spread of a connected graph G was introduced by Alon  
Boppana and Spencer (1998) and measures how tightly connected the  
graph is. It is defined as the maximum over all Lipschitz functions f  
on V(G) of the variance of f(X) when X is uniformly distributed on  
$V(G)$. We investigate the spread of a variety of random graphs, in  
particular the random regular graphs G(n,d), d >= 3, and Erdos-Renyi  
random graphs G_{n,p} in the supercritical range p>1/n. We show that  
if p=c/n with c>1 fixed then with high probability the spread is  
bounded, and prove similar statements for G(n,d), d >= 3. We also  
prove lower bounds on the spread in the barely supercritical case p-1/ 
n = o(1). Finally, we show that for d large the spread of G(n,d)  
becomes arbitrarily close to that of the complete graph K_n.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1156


8125. Asymptotic Expansions for the Sojourn Time Distribution in the  
$M/G/1$-PS Queue
Author(s): Qiang Zhen and Charles Knessl

Abstract: We consider the $M/G/1$ queue with a processor sharing  
server. We study the conditional sojourn time distribution,  
conditioned on the customer's service requirement, as well as the  
unconditional distribution, in various asymptotic limits. These  
include large time and/or large service request, and heavy traffic,  
where the arrival rate is only slightly less than the service rate.  
Our results demonstrate the possible tail behaviors of the  
unconditional distribution, which was previously known in the cases  
$G=M$ and $G=D$ (where it is purely exponential). We assume that the  
service density decays at least exponentially fast. We use various  
methods for the asymptotic expansion of integrals, such as the Laplace  
and saddle point methods.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1199


8126. On Sojourn Times in the $M/M/1$-PS Model, Conditioned on the  
Number of Other Users
Author(s): Qiang Zhen and Charles Knessl

Abstract: We consider the $M/M/1$-PS queue with processor sharing. We  
study the conditional sojourn time distribution of an arriving  
customer, conditioned on the number of other customers present. A new  
formula is obtained for the conditional sojourn time distribution,  
using a discrete Green's function. This is shown to be equivalent to  
some classic results of Pollaczeck and Vaulot from 1946. Then various  
asymptotic limits are studied, including large time and/or large  
number of customers present, and heavy traffic, where the arrival rate  
is only slightly less than the service rate.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1200


8127. Uniform bounds for exponential moments of maximum of Dyck paths
Author(s): O. Khorunzhiy and J.-F. Marckert

Abstract: Let D be a Dyck path chosen uniformly from the set of Dyck  
paths with 2n steps. We prove that the sequence of the exponential  
moments of the maximum of D normalized by the square root of n  
converges in the limit of infinite n, and therefore is bounded  
uniformly in n. This result justifies corresponding assumption used to  
prove certain estimates of high moments of large random matrices.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1229


8128. On Azema-Yor processes, their optimal properties and the  
Bachelier-Drawdown equation
Author(s): Laurent Carraro and Nicole El Karoui and Jan Obloj

Abstract: We study the class of Azema-Yor (AY) processes defined from  
a general semimartingale with a continuous running supremum process.  
We show that they arise as unique strong solutions of the Bachelier  
stochastic differential equation which we prove is equivalent to the  
Drawdown equation. Solutions of the latter have the drawdown property:  
they always stay above a given function of their past supremum. We  
then show that any process which satisfies the drawdown property is in  
fact an AY process. The proofs exploit group structure of the set of  
AY processes, indexed by functions, which we introduce. Further, we  
study in detail AY martingales defined from a non-negative local  
martingale converging to zero at infinity. In particular, we construct  
AY martingales with a given terminal law and this allows us to  
rediscover the AY solution to the Skorokhod embedding problem.  
Finally, we prove new optimal properties of AY martingales relative to  
concave ordering of terminal laws of martingales.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1328


8129. The martingale problem for Markov solutions to the Navier-Stokes  
equations
Author(s): Marco Romito

Abstract: Under suitable assumptions of regularity and non-degeneracy  
on the covariance of the driving additive noise, any Markov solution  
to the stochastic Navier-Stokes equations has an associated generator  
of the diffusion and is the unique solution to the corresponding  
martingale problem. Some elementary examples are discussed to  
interpret these results.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1402


8130. An almost sure energy inequality for Markov solutions to the 3D  
Navier-Stokes equations
Author(s): Marco Romito

Abstract: We prove existence of weak martingale solutions satisfying  
an almost sure version of the energy inequality and which constitute a  
(almost sure) Markov process.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1407


8131. Random Graphons and a Weak Positivstellensatz for Graphs
Author(s): L\'aszl\'o Lov\'asz and Bal\'azs Szegedy

Abstract: In an earlier paper the authors proved that limits of  
convergent graph sequences can be described by various structures,  
including certain 2-variable real functions called graphons, random  
graph models satisfying certain consistency conditions, and  
normalized, multiplicative and reflection positive graph parameters.  
In this paper we show that each of these structures has a related,  
relaxed version, which are also equivalent. Using this, we describe a  
further structure equivalent to graph limits, namely probability  
measures on countable graphs that are ergodic with respect to the  
group of permutations of the nodes. As an application, we prove an  
analogue of the Positivstellensatz for graphs: We show that every  
linear inequality between subgraph densities that holds asymptotically  
for all graphs has a formal proof in the following sense: it can be  
approximated arbitrarily well by another valid inequality that is a  
"sum of squares" in the algebra of partially labeled graphs.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1327


8132. Bilinear and Quadratic Variants on the Littlewood-Offord Problem
Author(s): Kevin P. Costello

Abstract: If f(x_1, x_2, ..., x_n) is a polynomial dependent on a  
large number of independent Bernoulli random variables, what can be  
said about the maximum concentration of f on any single value? For  
linear polynomials, this reduces to one version of the classical  
Littlewood-Offord problem: Given nonzero constants a_1 through a_n,  
what is the maximum number of sums of the form +/- a_1 +/- a_2 +/-...  
+/- a_n which take on any single value? Here we consider the case  
where f is either a bilinear form or a quadratic form. For the  
bilinear case, we show that the only forms having concentration  
significantly larger than n^{-1} are those which are in a certain  
sense very close to being degenerate. For the quadratic case, we show  
that no form having many nonzero coefficients has concentration  
significantly larger than n^{-1/2}. In both cases the results are  
nearly tight.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1538


8133. Homogenization of locally stationary diffusions with possibly  
degenerate diffusion matrix
Author(s): R\'emi Rhodes (CEREMADE)

Abstract: This paper deals with homogenization of second order  
divergence form parabolic operators with locally stationary  
coefficients. Roughly speaking, locally stationary coefficients have  
two evolution scales: both an almost constant microscopic one and a  
smoothly varying macroscopic one. The homogenization procedure aims to  
give a macroscopic approximation that takes into account the  
microscopic heterogeneities. This paper follows "Diffusion in a  
locally stationary random environment" (published in Probability  
Theory and Related Fields) and improves this latter work by  
considering possibly degenerate diffusion matrices. The geometry of  
the homogenized equation shows that the particle is trapped in  
subspace of R^d.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1586


8134. A simple construction of Werner measure from chordal SLE$_{8/3}$
Author(s): Robert O. Bauer

Abstract: We give a direct construction of the conformally invariant  
measure on self-avoiding loops in Riemann surfaces (Werner measure)  
from chordal $\text{SLE}_{8/3}$. We give a new proof of uniqueness of  
the measure and use Schramm's formula to construct a measure on  
boundary bubbles encircling an interior point. After establishing  
covariance properties for this bubble measure, we apply these  
properties to obtain a measure on loops by integrating measures on  
boundary bubbles. We calculate the distribution of the conformal  
radius of boundary bubbles encircling an interior point and deduce  
from it explicit upper and lower bounds for the loop measure.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1626


8135. Gaussian density estimates for solutions to quasi-linear  
stochastic partial differential equations
Author(s): David Nualart and Lluis Quer-Sardanyons

Abstract: In this paper we establish lower and upper Gaussian bounds  
for the solutions to the heat and wave equations driven by an additive  
Gaussian noise, using the techniques of Malliavin calculus and recent  
density estimates obtained by Nourdin and Viens. In particular, we  
deal with the one-dimensional stochastic heat equation in $[0,1]$  
driven by the space-time white noise, and the stochastic heat and wave  
equations in $\mathbb{R}^d$ ($d\geq 1$ and $d\leq 3$, respectively)  
driven by a Gaussian noise which is white in time and has a general  
spatially homogeneous correlation.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1849


8136. The critical Z-invariant Ising model via dimers: locality property
Author(s): C\'edric Boutillier and B\'eatrice de Tili\`ere

Abstract: We study a large class of critical two-dimensional Ising  
models, namely critical Z-invariant Ising models. Fisher [Fis66]  
introduced a correspondence between the Ising model and the dimer  
model on a decorated graph, thus setting dimer techniques as a  
powerful tool for understanding the Ising model. In this paper, we  
give a full description of the dimer model corresponding to the  
critical Z-invariant Ising model, consisting of explicit expressions  
which only depend on the local geometry of the underlying isoradial  
graph. Our main result is an explicit local formula for the inverse  
Kasteleyn matrix, in the spirit of [Ken02], as a contour integral of  
the discrete exponential function of [Mer01a,Ken02] multiplied by a  
local function. Using results of [BdT08] and techniques of  
[dT07b,Ken02], this yields an explicit local formula for a natural  
Gibbs measure, and a local formula for the free energy. As a  
corollary, we recover Baxter's formula for the free energy of the  
critical Z-invariant Ising model [Bax89], and thus a new proof of it.  
The latter is equal, up to a constant, to the logarithm of the  
normalized determinant of the Laplacian obtained in [Ken02].

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1882


8137. Randomness on Computable Probability Spaces - A Dynamical Point  
of View
Author(s): Peter Gacs and Mathieu Hoyrup (INRIA Lorraine - LORIA) and  
Cristobal Rojas (CREA)

Abstract: We extend the notion of randomness (in the version  
introduced by Schnorr) to computable Probability Spaces and compare it  
to a dynamical notion of randomness: typicality. Roughly, a point is  
typical for some dynamic, if it follows the statistical behavior of  
the system (Birkhoff's pointwise ergodic theorem). We prove that a  
point is Schnorr random if and only if it is typical for every mixing  
computable dynamics. To prove the result we develop some tools for the  
theory of computable probability spaces (for example, morphisms) that  
are expected to have other applications.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1939


8138. Cover Time and Broadcast Time
Author(s): Robert Els\"asser and Thomas Sauerwald

Abstract: We introduce a new technique for bounding the cover time of  
random walks by relating it to the runtime of randomized broadcast. In  
particular, we strongly confirm for dense graphs the intuition of  
Chandra et al. \cite{CRRST97} that "the cover time of the graph is an  
appropriate metric for the performance of certain kinds of randomized  
broadcast algorithms". In more detail, our results are as follows: For  
any graph $G=(V,E)$ of size $n$ and minimum degree $\delta$, we have $ 
\mathcal{R}(G)= \Oh(\frac{|E|}{\delta} \cdot \log n)$, where $ 
\mathcal{R}(G)$ denotes the quotient of the cover time and broadcast  
time. This bound is tight for binary trees and tight up to logarithmic  
factors for many graphs including hypercubes, expanders and lollipop  
graphs. For any $\delta$-regular (or almost $\delta$-regular) graph $G 
$ it holds that $\mathcal{R}(G) = \Omega(\frac{\delta^2}{n} \cdot  
\frac{1}{\log n})$. Together with our upper bound on $\mathcal{R}(G)$,  
this lower bound strongly confirms the intuition of Chandra et al. for  
graphs with minimum degree $\Theta(n)$, since then the cover time  
equals the broadcast time multiplied by $n$ (neglecting logarithmic  
factors). Conversely, for any $\delta$ we construct almost $\delta$- 
regular graphs that satisfy $\mathcal{R}(G) = \Oh(\max \{\sqrt{n}, 
\delta \} \cdot \log^2 n)$. Since any regular expander satisfies $ 
\mathcal{R}(G) = \Theta(n)$, the strong relationship given above does  
not hold if $\delta$ is polynomially smaller than $n$. Our bounds also  
demonstrate that the relationship between cover time and broadcast  
time is much stronger than the known relationships between any of them  
and the mixing time (or the closely related spectral gap).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1735


8139. Mesoscopic fluctuations of the zeta zeros
Author(s): Paul Bourgade

Abstract: We prove a multidimensional extension of Selberg's central  
limit theorem for $\log\zeta$, in which non-trivial correlations  
appear. In particular, this answers a question by Coram and Diaconis  
about the mesoscopic fluctuations of the zeros of the Riemann zeta  
function. Similar results are given in the context of random matrices  
from the unitary group. This shows the correspondence $n  
\leftrightarrow \log t$ not only between the dimension of the matrix  
and the height on the critical line, but also, in a local scale, for  
small deviations from the critical axis or the unit circle.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.1757


8140. On the diameter of the set of satisfying assignments in random  
satisfiable k-CNF formulas
Author(s): Uriel Feige and Abraham D. Flaxman and Dan Vilenchik

Abstract: It is known that random k-CNF formulas have a so-called  
satisfiability threshold at a density (namely, clause-variable ratio)  
of roughly 2^k\ln 2: at densities slightly below this threshold almost  
all k-CNF formulas are satisfiable whereas slightly above this  
threshold almost no k-CNF formula is satisfiable. In the current work  
we consider satisfiable random formulas, and inspect another parameter  
-- the diameter of the solution space (that is the maximal Hamming  
distance between a pair of satisfying assignments). It was previously  
shown that for all densities up to a density slightly below the  
satisfiability threshold the diameter is almost surely at least  
roughly n/2 (and n at much lower densities). At densities very much  
higher than the satisfiability threshold, the diameter is almost  
surely zero (a very dense satisfiable formula is expected to have only  
one satisfying assignment). In this paper we show that for all  
densities above a density that is slightly above the satisfiability  
threshold (more precisely at ratio (1+ \eps)2^k \ln 2, \eps=\eps(k)  
tending to 0 as k grows) the diameter is almost surely O(k2^{-k}n).  
This shows that a relatively small change in the density around the  
satisfiability threshold (a multiplicative (1 + \eps) factor), makes a  
dramatic change in the diameter. This drop in the diameter cannot be  
attributed to the fact that a larger fraction of the formulas is not  
satisfiable (and hence have diameter 0), because the non-satisfiable  
formulas are excluded from consideration by our conditioning that the  
formula is satisfiable.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2012


8141. Batch queues, reversibility and first-passage percolation
Author(s): James B. Martin

Abstract: We consider a model of queues in discrete time, with batch  
services and arrivals. The case where arrival and service batches both  
have Bernoulli distributions corresponds to a discrete-time M/M/1  
queue, and the case where both have geometric distributions has also  
been previously studied. We describe a common extension to a more  
general class where the batches are the product of a Bernoulli and a  
geometric, and use reversibility arguments to prove versions of  
Burke's theorem for these models. Extensions to models with continuous  
time or continuous workload are also described. As an application, we  
show how these results can be combined with methods of Seppalainen and  
O'Connell to provide exact solutions for a new class of first-passage  
percolation problems.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2026


8142. Transportation-information inequalities for Markov processes  
(II) : relations with other functional inequalities
Author(s): Arnaud Guillin and Christian Leonard (CMAP and MODAL'X) and  
Feng-Yu Wang and Liming Wu

Abstract: We continue our investigation on the transportation- 
information inequalities $W_pI$ for a symmetric markov process,  
introduced and studied in \cite{GLWY}. We prove that $W_pI$ implies  
the usual transportation inequalities $W_pH$, then the corresponding  
concentration inequalities for the invariant measure $\mu$. We give  
also a direct proof that the spectral gap in the space of Lipschitz  
functions for a diffusion process implies $W_1I$ (a result due to  
\cite{GLWY}) and a Cheeger type's isoperimetric inequality. Finally we  
exhibit relations between transportation-information inequalities and  
a family of functional inequalities (such as $\Phi$-log Sobolev or $ 
\Phi$-Sobolev).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2101


8143. A Single Server Retrial Queue with Different Types of Server  
Interruptions
Author(s): Tewfik Kernane

Abstract: We consider a single server retrial queue with the server  
subject to interruptions and classical retrial policy for the access  
from the orbit to the server. We analyze the equilibrium distribution  
of the system and obtain the generating functions of the limiting  
distribution.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2110


8144. Burkholder-Davis-Gundy type Inequalities of the It\^o stochastic  
integral with respect to Levy noise on Banach spaces
Author(s): Erika Hausenblas

Abstract: The aim of this note is to give some Burkholder-Davis-Gundy  
type inequalities which are valid for the Ito stochastic integral with  
respect to Banach valued Levy noise.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2114


8145. Stochastic approach for the subordination in Bochner sense
Author(s): Nicolas Bouleau (CERMA)

Abstract: It is possible to construct a double indexed process with  
sample paths a surface of a family of subordinators obtained by  
subordination. We study here a branch of this subordination process.  
This opens martingale methods on symbolic calculus questions.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2133


8146. A new look at the Heston characteristic function
Author(s): Sebastian del Ba\~no Rollin and Albert Ferreiro-Castilla  
and Frederic Utzet

Abstract: A new expression for the characteristic function of log-spot  
in Heston model is presented. This expression more clearly exhibits  
its properties as an analytic characteristic function and allows us to  
compute the exact domain of the moment generating function. This  
result is then applied to the volatility smile at extreme strikes and  
to the control of the moments of spot. We also give a factorization of  
the moment generating function as product of Bessel type factors, and  
an approximating sequence to the law of log-spot is deduced.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2154


8147. Heavy-traffic analysis of the maximum of an asymptotically  
stable random walk
Author(s): Seva Shneer and Vitali Wachtel

Abstract: For families of random walks $\{S_k^{(a)}\}$ with $\mathbf E  
S_k^{(a)} = -ka < 0$ we consider their maxima $M^{(a)} = \sup_{k \ge  
0} S_k^{(a)}$. We investigate the asymptotic behaviour of $M^{(a)}$ as  
$a \to 0$ for asymptotically stable random walks. This problem  
appeared first in the 1960's in the analysis of a single-server queue  
when the traffic load tends to 1 and since then is referred to as the  
heavy-traffic approximation problem. Kingman and Prokhorov suggested  
two different approaches which were later followed by many authors. We  
give two elementary proofs of our main result, using each of these  
approaches. It turns out that the main technical difficulties in both  
proofs are rather similar and may be resolved via a generalisation of  
the Kolmogorov inequality to the case of an infinite variance. Such a  
generalisation is also obtained in this note.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2185


8148. M/M/1 Queueing System with Non-preemptive Priority
Author(s): Zhao Guo-xi and Hu Qi-Zhou

Abstract: The performance of non-preemptive M/M/1 queueing system with  
two priority is analyzed. By using complementary variable method to  
make vector Markov process and analyzing the state-change equations of  
the queueing system, the generating function of two kinds of  
customers'length distribution are derived under non-preemptive  
priority .Through further discussion, the probability of the server  
that it is working or free and average length of two kinds of  
customers are also derived.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2086


8149. Distribution-valued heavy-traffic limits for the $G/GI/\infty$  
queue
Author(s): Rishi Talreja and Josh Reed

Abstract: We study the $G/GI/\infty$ queue from two different  
perspectives in the same heavy-traffic regime. First, we represent the  
dynamics of the system using a measure-valued process that keeps track  
of the age of each customer in the system. Using the continuous- 
mapping approach together with the martingale functional central limit  
theorem, we obtain fluid and diffusion limits for this process in a  
space of distribution-valued processes. Next, we study a measure- 
valued process that keeps track of the residual service time of each  
customer in the system. In this case, using the functional central  
limit theorem and the random time change theorem together with the  
continuous-mapping approach, we again obtain fluid and diffusion  
limits in our space of distribution-valued processes. In both cases,  
we find that our diffusion limits may be characterized as distribution- 
valued Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes. Further, these diffusion limits  
can be analyzed using standard results from the theory of Markov  
processes.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2236


8150. A note on the Poisson boundary of lamplighter random walks
Author(s): Ecaterina Sava

Abstract: The main goal of this paper is to determine the Poisson  
boundary of lamplighter random walks over a general class of discrete  
groups $\Gamma$ endowed with a rich boundary. The starting point is  
the Strip Criterion of identification of the Poisson boundary for  
random walks on discrete groups due to Kaimanovich. A geometrical  
method for constructing the strip as a subset of the lamplighter group  
starting with a smaller strip in the base group $\Gamma$ is developed.  
Then, this method is applied to several classes of base groups $\Gamma 
$: groups with infinitely many ends, hyperbolic groups in the sense of  
Gromov, and Euclidean lattices. We show that under suitable hypothesis  
the Poisson boundary for a class of random walks on lamplighter groups  
is the space of infinite limit configurations.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2285


8151. Limit theorems for Parrondo's paradox
Author(s): S. N. Ethier and Jiyeon Lee

Abstract: That two losing games can be combined to form a winning game  
is known as Parrondo's paradox. We establish a strong law of large  
numbers and a central limit theorem for the Parrondo player's sequence  
of profits, both in a one-parameter family of profit-dependent games  
and in a two-parameter family of history-dependent games, with the  
potentially winning game being either a random mixture or a nonrandom  
pattern of the two losing games. We derive formulas for the mean and  
variance parameters of the central limit theorem in nearly all such  
scenarios; formulas for the mean permit an analysis of when the  
Parrondo effect is present.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2368


8152. The determinacy of infinite games with eventual perfect monitoring
Author(s): Eran Shmaya

Abstract: An infinite two-player zero-sum game with a Borel winning  
set, in which the opponent's actions are monitored eventually but not  
necessarily immediately after they are played, admits a value. The  
proof relies on a representation of the game as a stochastic game with  
perfect information, in which Nature operates as a delegate for the  
players and performs the randomizations for them.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2254


8153. Some results on random circulant matrices
Author(s): Mark W. Meckes

Abstract: This paper considers random (non-Hermitian) circulant  
matrices, and proves several results analogous to recent theorems on  
non-Hermitian random matrices with independent entries. In particular,  
the limiting spectral distribution of a random circulant matrix is  
shown to be complex normal, and bounds are given for the probability  
that a circulant sign matrix is singular.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2472


8154. Heat kernel analysis on semi-infinite Lie groups
Author(s): Tai Melcher

Abstract: This paper studies Brownian motion and heat kernel measure  
on a class of infinite dimensional Lie groups. We prove a Cameron- 
Martin type quasi-invariance theorem for the heat kernel measure and  
give estimates on the $L^p$ norms of the Radon-Nikodym derivatives. We  
also prove that a logarithmic Sobolev inequality holds in this setting.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2500


8155. Expansions for Gaussian processes and Parseval frames
Author(s): Harald Luschgy and Gilles Pag\`es (PMA)

Abstract: We derive a precise link between series expansions of  
Gaussian random vectors in a Banach space and Parseval frames in their  
reproducing kernel Hilbert space. The results are applied to pathwise  
continuous Gaussian processes and a new optimal expansion for  
fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes is derived. In the end an  
extension of this result to Gaussian stationary processes with convex  
covariance function is established.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2563


8156. Integral Equations and the First Passage Time of Brownian Motions
Author(s): Sebastian Jaimungal and Alex Krenin and and Angelo Valov

Abstract: The first passage time problem for Brownian motions hitting  
a barrier has been extensively studied in the literature. In  
particular, many incarnations of integral equations which link the  
density of the hitting time to the equation for the barrier itself  
have appeared. Most interestingly, Peskir(2002b) demonstrates that a  
master integral equation can be used to generate a countable number of  
new equations via differentiation or integration by parts. In this  
article, we generalize Peskir's results and provide a more powerful  
unifying framework for generating integral equations through a new  
class of martingales. We obtain a continuum of Volterra type integral  
equations of the first kind and prove uniqueness for a subclass.  
Furthermore, through the integral equations, we demonstrate how  
certain functional transforms of the boundary affect the density  
function. Finally, we demonstrate a fundamental connection between the  
Volterra integral equations and a class of Fredholm integral equations.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2569


8157. The Policy Iteration Algorithm for Average Continuous Control of  
Piecewise Deterministic Markov Processes
Author(s): O.L.V. Costa and F. Dufour

Abstract: The main goal of this paper is to apply the so-called policy  
iteration algorithm (PIA) for the long run average continuous control  
problem of piecewise deterministic Markov processes (PDMP's) taking  
values in a general Borel space and with compact action space  
depending on the state variable. In order to do that we first derive  
some important properties for a pseudo-Poisson equation associated to  
the problem. In the sequence it is shown that the convergence of the  
PIA to a solution satisfying the optimality equation holds under some  
classical hypotheses and that this optimal solution yields to an  
optimal control strategy for the average control problem for the  
continuous-time PDMP in a feedback form.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2673


8158. Li-Yau Type Gradient Estimates and Harnack Inequalities by  
Stochastic Analysis
Author(s): Marc Arnaudon (LMA) and Anton Thalmaier

Abstract: In this paper we use methods from Stochastic Analysis to  
establish Li-Yau type estimates for positive solutions of the heat  
equation. In particular, we want to emphasize that Stochastic Analysis  
provides natural tools to derive local estimates in the sense that the  
gradient bound at given point depends only on universal constants and  
the geometry of the Riemannian manifold locally about this point.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2681


8159. Existence of an Optimal Control for Stochastic Systems with  
Nonlinear Cost Functional
Author(s): Rainer Buckdahn (LM) and Boubakeur Labed and Catherine  
Rainer (LM) and Lazhar Tamer

Abstract: We consider a stochastic control problem which is composed  
of a controlled stochastic differential equation, and whose associated  
cost functional is defined through a controlled backward stochastic  
differential equation. Under appropriate convexity assumptions on the  
coefficients of the forward and the backward equations we prove the  
existence of an optimal control on a suitable reference stochastic  
system. The proof is based on an approximation of the stochastic  
control problem by a sequence of control problems with smooth  
coefficients, admitting an optimal feedback control. The quadruplet  
formed by this optimal feedback control and the associated solution of  
the forward and the backward equations is shown to converge in law, at  
least along a subsequence. The convexity assumptions on the  
coefficients then allow to construct from this limit an admissible  
control process which, on an appropriate reference stochastic system,  
is optimal for our stochastic control problem.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2693


8160. Regularity of the Optimal Stopping Problem for Levy Processes  
with Non-Degenerate Diffusions
Author(s): Erhan Bayraktar and Hao Xing

Abstract: The value function of an optimal stopping problem for a  
process with Levy jumps is known to be a generalized solution of a  
variational inequality. Assuming the diffusion component of the  
process is non-degenerate and a mild assumption on the singularity of  
the Levy measure, this paper shows that the value function is smooth  
in the continuation region for problems with either finite or infinite  
variation jumps. Moreover, the smooth-fit property is shown via the  
global regularity of the value function. This paper confirms the  
intuition that the non-degenerate diffusion component dictates the  
regularity of the value function in the optimal stopping problem for  
jump processes.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2479


8161. A Simulation Approach to Optimal Stopping Under Partial  
Information
Author(s): Mike Ludkovski

Abstract: We study the numerical solution of nonlinear partially  
observed optimal stopping problems. The system state is taken to be a  
multi-dimensional diffusion and drives the drift of the observation  
process, which is another multi-dimensional diffusion with correlated  
noise. Such models where the controller is not fully aware of her  
environment are of interest in applied probability and financial  
mathematics. We propose a new approximate numerical algorithm based on  
the particle filtering and regression Monte Carlo methods. The  
algorithm maintains a continuous state-space and yields an integrated  
approach to the filtering and control sub-problems. Our approach is  
entirely simulation-based and therefore allows for a robust  
implementation with respect to model specification. We carry out the  
error analysis of our scheme and illustrate with several computational  
examples. An extension to discretely observed stochastic volatility  
models is also considered.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2518


8162. A presentation of the category of stochastic matrices
Author(s): Tobias Fritz

Abstract: This note gives generators and relations for the strict  
monoidal category of probabilistic maps on finite cardinals (i.e.,  
stochastic matrices).

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2554


8163. Random Walks in the Quarter Plane Absorbed at the Boundary :  
Exact and Asymptotic
Author(s): Kilian Raschel

Abstract: Nearest neighbor random walks in the quarter plane that are  
absorbed when reaching the boundary are studied. The cases of positive  
and zero drift are considered. Absorption probabilities at a given  
time and at a given site are made explicit. The following asymptotics  
for these random walks starting from a given point $(n_0,m_0)$ are  
computed : that of probabilities of being absorbed at a given site $(i, 
0)$ [resp. $(0,j)$] as $i\to \infty$ [resp. $j \to \infty$], that of  
the distribution's tail of absorption time at x-axis [resp. y-axis],  
that of the Green functions at site $(i,j)$ when $i,j\to \infty$ and  
$j/i \to \tan \gamma$ for $\gamma \in [0, \pi/2]$. These results give  
the Martin boundary of the process and in particular the suitable Doob  
$h$-transform in order to condition the process never to reach the  
boundary. They also show that this $h$-transformed process is equal in  
distribution to the limit as $n\to \infty$ of the process conditioned  
by not being absorbed at time $n$. The main tool used here is complex  
analysis.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2785


8164. Continuous Model for Homopolymers
Author(s): M. Cranston and L. Koralov and S. Molchanov and B. Vainberg

Abstract: We consider the model for the distribution of a long  
homopolymer in a potential field. The typical shape of the polymer  
depends on the temperature parameter. We show that at a critical value  
of the temperature the transition occurs from a globular to an  
extended phase. For various values of the temperature, including those  
at or near the critical value, we consider the limiting behavior of  
the polymer when its size tends to infinity.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2830


8165. Fractional multiplicative processes
Author(s): Julien Barral and Benoit Mandelbrot

Abstract: Statistically self-similar measures on $[0,1]$ are limit of  
multiplicative cascades of random weights distributed on the $b$-adic  
subintervals of $[0,1]$. These weights are i.i.d, positive, and of  
expectation $1/b$. We extend these cascades naturally by allowing the  
random weights to take negative values. This yields martingales taking  
values in the space of continuous functions on $[0,1]$. Specifically,  
we consider for each $H\in (0,1)$ the martingale $(B_{n})_{n\geq1}$  
obtained when the weights take the values $-b^{-H}$ and $b^{-H}$, in  
order to get $B_n$ converging almost surely uniformly to a  
statistically self-similar function $B$ whose H\"{o}lder regularity  
and fractal properties are comparable with that of the fractional  
Brownian motion of exponent $H$. This indeed holds when $H\in(1/2,1)$.  
Also the construction introduces a new kind of law, one that it is  
stable under random weighted averaging and satisfies the same  
functional equation as the standard symmetric stable law of index $1/H 
$. When $H\in(0,1/2]$, to the contrary, $B_n$ diverges almost surely.  
However, a natural normalization factor $ a_n$ makes the normalized  
correlated random walk $ B_n / a_n$ converge in law, as $n$ tends to $ 
\infty$, to the restriction to $[0,1]$ of the standard Brownian  
motion. Limit theorems are also associated with the case $H>1/2$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2902


8166. Random repeated quantum interactions and random invariant states
Author(s): Ion Nechita (ICJ) and Cl\'ement Pellegrini

Abstract: We consider a generalized model of repeated quantum  
interactions, where a system $\mathcal{H}$ is interacting in a random  
way with a sequence of independent quantum systems $\mathcal{K}_n, n  
\geq 1$. Two types of randomness are studied in detail. One is  
provided by considering Haar-distributed unitaries to describe each  
interaction between $\mathcal{H}$ and $\mathcal{K}_n$. The other  
involves random quantum states describing each copy $\mathcal{K}_n$.  
In the limit of a large number of interactions, we present convergence  
results for the asymptotic state of $\mathcal{H}$. This is achieved by  
studying spectral properties of (random) quantum channels which  
guarantee the existence of unique invariant states. Finally this  
allows to introduce a new physically motivated ensemble of random  
density matrices called the \emph{asymptotic induced ensemble}.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2634


8167. Bounds on the Location of the Maximum Stirling Numbers of the  
Second Kind
Author(s): Yaming Yu

Abstract: Let K_n denote the smaller mode of the nth row of Stirling  
numbers of the second kind S(n, k). Using a probablistic argument, it  
is shown that for all n>=2, [exp(w(n))]-2<=K_n<=[exp(w(n))]+1, where  
[x] denotes the integer part of x, and w(n) is Lambert's W-function.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.2964


8168. Irreducibility and uniqueness of stationary distribution
Author(s): Ping He and Jiangang Ying

Abstract: In this paper, we shall prove that the irreducibility in the  
sense of fine topology implies the uniqueness of invariant probability  
measures. It is also proven that this irreducibility is strictly  
weaker than the strong Feller property plus irreducibility in the  
sense of original topology, which is the usual uniqueness condition.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3296


8169. Backward SDEs with superquadratic growth
Author(s): Freddy Delbaen (Department of Mathematics) and Ying Hu  
(IRMAR) and Xiaobo Bao (Department of Mathematics)

Abstract: In this paper, we discuss the solvability of backward  
stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) with superquadratic  
generators. We first prove that given a superquadratic generator,  
there exists a bounded terminal value, such that the associated BSDE  
does not admit any bounded solution. On the other hand, we prove that  
if the superquadratic BSDE admits a bounded solution, then there exist  
infinitely many bounded solutions for this BSDE. Finally, we prove the  
existence of a solution for Markovian BSDEs where the terminal value  
is a bounded continuous function of a forward stochastic differential  
equation.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3316


8170. Quenched scaling limits of trap models
Author(s): M. Jara and C. Landim and A. Teixeira

Abstract: Fix a strictly positive measure $W$ on the $d$-dimensional  
torus $\bb T^d$. For an integer $N\ge 1$, denote by $W^N_x$,  
$x=(x_1, ..., x_d)$, $0\le x_i 1$, if $W$ is a finite discrete  
measure, $W=\sum_{i\ge 1} w_i \delta_{x_i}$, we prove that the random  
walk which jumps from $x/N$ uniformly to one of its neighbors at rate $ 
(W^N_x)^{-1}$ has a metastable behavior, as defined in \cite{bl1},  
described by the $K$-process introduced in \cite{fm1}.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3334


8171. Anisotropic Young diagrams and infinite-dimensional diffusion  
processes with the Jack parameter
Author(s): Grigori Olshanski

Abstract: We construct a family of Markov processes with continuous  
sample trajectories on an infinite-dimensional space, the Thoma  
simplex. The family depends on three continuous parameters, one of  
which, the Jack parameter, is similar to the beta parameter in random  
matrix theory. The processes arise in a scaling limit transition from  
certain finite Markov chains, the so called up-down chains on the  
Young graph with the Jack edge multiplicities. Each of the limit  
Markov processes is ergodic and its stationary distribution is a  
symmetrizing measure. The infinitesimal generators of the processes  
are explicitly computed; viewed as selfadjoint operators in the L^2  
spaces over the symmetrizing measures, the generators have purely  
discrete spectrum which is explicitly described. For the special value  
1 of the Jack parameter, the limit Markov processes coincide with  
those of the recent work by Borodin and the author (Prob. Theory Rel.  
Fields 144 (2009), 281--318; arXiv:0810.3751). In the limit as the  
Jack parameter goes to 0, our family of processes degenerates to the  
one-parameter family of diffusions on the Kingman simplex studied long  
ago by Ethier and Kurtz in connection with some models of population  
genetics. The techniques of the paper are essentially algebraic. The  
main computations are performed in the algebra of shifted symmetric  
functions with the Jack parameter and rely on the concept of  
anisotropic Young diagrams due to Kerov.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3395


8172. Effect of Noise on Front Propagation in Reaction-Diffusion  
equations of KPP type
Author(s): Carl Mueller and Leonid Mytnik and Jeremy Quastel

Abstract: We consider reaction-diffusion equations of KPP type in one  
spatial dimension, perturbed by a Fisher-Wright white noise, under the  
assumption of uniqueness in distribution. Examples include the  
randomly perturbed Fisher-KPP equations $ \partial_t u = \partial_x^2  
u + u(1-u) + \epsilon \sqrt{u(1-u)}\dot W, $ and $ \partial_t u =  
\partial_x^2 u + u(1-u) + \epsilon \sqrt{u}\dot W, $ where $\dot W=  
\dot W(t,x)$ is a space-time white noise. We prove the Brunet-Derrida  
conjecture that the speed of traveling fronts is asymptotically $ 2- 
\pi^2 |\log \epsilon^2|^{-2} $ up to a factor of order $ (\log|\log 
\epsilon|)|\log\epsilon|^{-3}$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3423


8173. Finitely-additive measures on the asymptotic foliations of a  
Markov compactum
Author(s): Alexander I. Bufetov

Abstract: An asymptotic expansion is established for time averages of  
translation flows on flat surfaces. This result, which extends earlier  
work of A.Zorich and G.Forni, yields limit theorems for translation  
flows. The argument, close in spirit to that of G.Forni, uses the  
approximation of ergodic integrals by holonomy-invariant Hoelder  
cocycles on trajectories of the flows. The space of holonomy-invariant  
Hoelder cocycles is finite-dimensional, and is given by an explicit  
construction. First, a symbolic representation for a uniquely ergodic  
translation flow is obtained following S.Ito and A.M. Vershik, and  
then, the space of cocycles is constructed using a family of finitely- 
additive complex-valued holonomy-invariant measures on the asymptotic  
foliations of a Markov compactum.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3303


8174. A (rough) pathwise approach to fully non-linear stochastic  
partial differential equations
Author(s): Michael Caruana and Peter Friz and Harald Oberhauser

Abstract: In a series of papers, starting with [Fully nonlinear  
stochastic partial differential equations. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Ser.  
I Math. 326 (1998), no. 9] Lions and Souganidis proposed a (pathwise)  
theory for fully non-linear stochastic partial differential equations.  
We present here a (partial) extension towards certain spatial  
dependence in the noise term. The main novelty is the use of rough  
path theory in this context [Lyons, Terry J.; Differential equations  
driven by rough signals. Rev. Mat. Iberoamericana 14 (1998), no. 2,  
215-310].

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3352


8175. Periodic homogenization with an interface: the one-dimensional  
case
Author(s): Martin Hairer and Charles Manson

Abstract: We consider a one-dimensional diffusion process with  
coefficients that are periodic outside of a finite 'interface region'.  
The question investigated in this article is the limiting long time /  
large scale behaviour of such a process under diffusive rescaling. Our  
main result is that it converges weakly to a rescaled version of skew  
Brownian motion, with parameters that can be given explicitly in terms  
of the coefficients of the original diffusion. Our method of proof  
relies on the framework provided by Freidlin and Wentzell for  
diffusion processes on a graph in order to identify the generator of  
the limiting process. The graph in question consists of one vertex  
representing the interface region and two infinite segments  
corresponding to the regions on either side.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3471


8176. Interacting Brownian motions in infinite dimensions with  
logarithmic interaction potentials
Author(s): Hirofumi Osada

Abstract: We investigate the construction of diffusions consisting of  
infinitely numerous Brownian particles moving in $ \Rd $ and  
interacting via logarithmic functions (2D Coulomb potentials). These  
potentials are really strong and long range in nature. The associated  
equilibrium states are no longer Gibbs measures. We present general  
results for the construction of such diffusions and, as applications  
thereof, construct two typical interacting Brownian motions with  
logarithmic interaction potentials, namely the Dyson model in infinite  
dimensions and Ginibre interacting Brownian motions. The former is a  
particle system in $ \R $ while the latter is in $ \R ^2 $. Both  
models are translation and rotation invariant in space, and as such,  
are prototypes of dimensions $ d = 1,2 $, respectively. The  
equilibrium states of the former diffusion model are determinantal  
random point fields with sine kernels. They appear in the  
thermodynamical limits of the spectrum of the ensembles of Gaussian  
random matrices such as GOE, GUE and GSE. The equilibrium states of  
the latter diffusion model are the thermodynamical limits of the  
spectrum of the ensemble of complex non-Hermitian Gaussian random  
matrices known as the Ginibre ensemble.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3561


8177. Large Deviations and Moments for the Euler Characteristic of a  
Random Surface
Author(s): Kevin Fleming and Nicholas Pippenger

Abstract: We study random surfaces constructed by glueing together $N/k 
$ filled $k$-gons along their edges, with all $(N-1)!! = (N-1)(N-3)... 
3\cdot 1$ pairings of the edges being equally likely. (We assume that  
lcm $\{2,k\}$ divides $N$.) The Euler characteristic of the resulting  
surface is related to the number of cycles in a certain random  
permutation of $\{1, ..., N\}$. Gamburd has shown that when 2 lcm $ 
\{2,k\}$ divides $N$, the distribution of this random permutation  
converges to that of the uniform distribution on the alternating group  
$A_N$ in the total-variation distance as $N\to\infty$. We obtain large- 
deviations bounds for the number of cycles that, together with  
Gamburd's result, allow us to derive sharp estimates for the moments  
of the number of cycles. These estimates allow us to confirm certain  
cases of conjectures made by Pippenger and Schleich.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3646


8178. Single-crossover dynamics: finite versus infinite populations
Author(s): Ellen Baake and Inke Herms

Abstract: Populations evolving under the joint influence of  
recombination and resampling (traditionally known as genetic drift)  
are investigated. First, we summarise and adapt a deterministic  
approach, as valid for infinite populations, which assumes continuous  
time and single crossover events. The corresponding nonlinear system  
of differential equations permits a closed solution, both in terms of  
the type frequencies and via linkage disequilibria of all orders. To  
include stochastic effects, we then consider the corresponding finite- 
population model, the Moran model with single crossovers, and examine  
it both analytically and by means of simulations. Particular emphasis  
is on the connection with the deterministic solution. If there is only  
recombination and every pair of recombined offspring replaces their  
pair of parents (i.e., there is no resampling), then the {\em  
expected} type frequencies in the finite population, of arbitrary  
size, equal the type frequencies in the infinite population. If  
resampling is included, the stochastic process converges, in the  
infinite-population limit, to the deterministic dynamics, which turns  
out to be a good approximation already for populations of moderate size.

http://arxiv.org/abs/q-bio/0612024


8179. A better algorithm for random k-SAT
Author(s): Amin Coja-Oghlan

Abstract: Let F be a uniformly distributed random k-SAT formula with n  
variables and m clauses. We present a polynomial time algorithm that  
finds a satisfying assignment of F with high probability for  
constraint densities m/n<(1-eps_k)2^k\ln(k)/k, where eps_k->0.  
Previously no efficient algorithm was known to find solutions with non- 
vanishing probability beyond m/n=1.817.2^k/k [Frieze and Suen, J. of  
Algorithms 1996].

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3583


8180. On the re-rooting invariance property of Levy trees
Author(s): Thomas Duquesne and Jean-Francois Le Gall

Abstract: We prove a strong form of the invariance under re-rooting of  
the distribution of the continuous random trees called Levy trees.  
This extends previous results due to several authors.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3735


8181. Thick Points of the Gaussian Free Field
Author(s): Xiaoyu Hu and Jason Miller and Yuval Peres

Abstract: Let $U \subseteq \C$ be a bounded domain with smooth  
boundary and let $F$ be an instance of the continuum Gaussian free  
field on $U$ with respect to the Dirichlet inner product $\int_U  
\nabla f(x) \cdot \nabla g(x) dx$. The set $T(a;U)$ of $a$-thick  
points of $F$ consists of those $z \in U$ such that the average of $F$  
on a disk of radius $r$ centered at $z$ has growth $\sqrt{a/\pi} \log  
\tfrac{1}{r}$ as $r \to 0$. We show that for each $0 \leq a \leq 2$  
the Hausdorff dimension of $T(a;U)$ is almost surely $2-a$ and that  
with probability one $T(a;U)$ is empty when $a > 2$. Furthermore, we  
prove that $T(a;U)$ is invariant under conformal transformations in an  
appropriate sense. The notion of a thick point is connected to the  
Liouville quantum gravity measure with parameter $\gamma$ given  
formally by $\Gamma(dz) = e^{\sqrt{2\pi} \gamma F(z)} dz$ considered  
by Duplantier and Sheffield.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3842


8182. Asymptotic Independence of the Extreme Eigenvalues of GUE
Author(s): Folkmar Bornemann

Abstract: We give a short, operator-theoretic proof of the asymptotic  
independence of the minimal and maximal eigenvalue of the n \times n  
Gaussian Unitary Ensemble in the large matrix limit n \to \infty. This  
is done by representing the joint probability distribution of those  
extreme eigenvalues as the Fredholm determinant of an operator matrix  
that asymptotically becomes diagonal. The method is amenable to  
explicitly establish the leading order term of an asymptotic  
expansion. As a corollary we obtain that the correlation of the  
extreme eigenvalues asymptotically behaves like n^{-2/3}/4\sigma^2,  
where \sigma^2 denotes the variance of the Tracy--Widom distribution.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3870


8183. Equilibrium Fluctuations for the Totally Asymmetric Zero Range  
process
Author(s): Patricia Goncalves

Abstract: We prove a Central Limit Theorem for the empirical measure  
in the one-dimensional Totally Asymmetric Zero-Range Process in the  
hyperbolic scaling $N$, starting from the equilibrium measure $ 
\nu_{\rho}$. We also show that when taking the direction of the  
characteristics, the limit density fluctuation field does not evolve  
in time until $N^{4/3}$, which implies the current across the  
characteristics to vanish in this longer time scale.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3974


8184. Rare event simulation for T-cell activation
Author(s): Florian Lipsmeier and Ellen Baake

Abstract: The problem of \emph{statistical recognition} is considered,  
as it arises in immunobiology, namely, the discrimination of foreign  
antigens against a background of the body's own molecules. The precise  
mechanism of this foreign-self-distinction, though one of the major  
tasks of the immune system, continues to be a fundamental puzzle.  
Recent progress has been made by van den Berg, Rand, and Burroughs  
(2001), who modelled the \emph{probabilistic} nature of the  
interaction between the relevant cell types, namely, T-cells and  
antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Here, the stochasticity is due to the  
random sample of antigens present on the surface of every APC, and to  
the random receptor type that characterises individual T-cells. It has  
been shown previously that this model, though highly idealised, is  
capable of reproducing important aspects of the recognition  
phenomenon, and of explaining them on the basis of stochastic rare  
events. These results were obtained with the help of a refined large  
deviation theorem and were thus asymptotic in nature. Simulations  
have, so far, been restricted to the straightforward simple sampling  
approach, which does not allow for sample sizes large enough to  
address more detailed questions. Building on the available large  
deviation results, we develop an importance sampling technique that  
allows for a convenient exploration of the relevant tail events by  
means of simulation. With its help, we investigate the mechanism of  
statistical recognition in some depth. In particular, we illustrate  
how a foreign antigen can stand out against the self background if it  
is present in sufficiently many copies, although no \emph{a priori}  
difference between self and nonself is built into the model.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0901.2227


8185. Levy flights and Levy -Schroedinger semigroups
Author(s): Piotr Garbaczewski

Abstract: We analyze Levy flights subject to an influence of external  
potentials and/or external conservative forces. Our goal is to clarify  
a discord between two classes of pertinent processes: those driven by  
Langevin equation with Levy noise and those named topological  
processes. Jump intensities of the latter processes are locally  
modified (via multiplicative Gibbs-type factors) by a "potential  
landscape" traveled by the flight and no explicit external forces are  
used to modify (confine) the noise. The discussion is set within the  
general framework of so-called Schrodinger boundary data problem which  
encompasses both Gaussian and non-Gaussian Markov processes.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3536


8186. Space-time covariance functions with compact support
Author(s): Viktor P. Zastavnyi and Emilio Porcu

Abstract: We characterize completely the Gneiting class of space-time  
covariance functions and give more relaxed conditions on the involved  
functions. We then show necessary conditions for the construction of  
compactly supported functions of the Gneiting type. These conditions  
are very general since they do not depend on the Euclidean norm.  
Finally, we discuss a general class of positive definite functions,  
used for multivariate Gaussian random fields. For this class, we show  
necessary criteria for its generator to be compactly supported.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3656


8187. On the Bennett-Hoeffding inequality
Author(s): Iosif Pinelis

Abstract: The well-known Bennett-Hoeffding bound for sums of  
independent random variables is refined, by taking into account  
truncated third moments, and at that also improved by using, instead  
of the class of all increasing exponential functions, the much larger  
class of all generalized moment functions f such that f and f" are  
increasing and convex. It is shown that the resulting bounds have  
certain optimality properties. Comparisons with related known bounds  
are given. The results can be extended in a standard manner to (the  
maximal functions of) (super)martingales.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4058


8188. Positive-part moments via the Fourier-Laplace transform
Author(s): Iosif Pinelis

Abstract: Integral expressions for positive-part moments E X_+^p (p>0)  
of random variables X are presented, in terms of the Fourier-Laplace  
or Fourier transforms of the distribution of X. A necessary and  
sufficient condition for the validity of such an expression is given.  
This study was motivated by extremal problems in probability and  
statistics, where one needs to evaluate such positive-part moments.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4214


8189. On regularity properties of Bessel flow
Author(s): L. Vostrikova

Abstract: We study the differentiability of Bessel flow $\rho : x \to  
\rho ^x_t$, where $(\rho ^x_t)_{t\geq 0}$ is BES $^x(\delta $) process  
of dimension $\delta >1$ starting from $x$. For $\delta \geq 2$ we  
prove the existence of bicontinuous derivatives in P-a.s. sense at $x 
\geq 0$ and we study the asymptotic behaviour of the derivatives at  
$x=0$. For $1< \delta <2$ we prove the existence of a modification of  
Bessel flow having derivatives in probability sense at $x\geq 0$. We  
study the asymptotic behaviour of the derivatives at $t=\tau_0(x)$  
where $\tau_0(x)$ is the first zero of $(\rho ^x_t)_{t\geq 0}$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4232


8190. Antithetic variates in higher dimensions
Author(s): Sebastian del Ba\~no Rollin and Joan-Andreu L\'azaro-Cam\'i

Abstract: We introduce the concept of multidimensional antithetic as  
the absolute minimum of the covariance function $O(N)\to\mathbb{R}$  
defined by $A\mapsto Cov(f(\xi),f(A\xi))$ where $\xi$ is a standard $N 
$-dimensional normal random variable and $f:\mathbb{R}^{N}\to\mathbb{R} 
$ is an almost everywhere differentiable function. The antithetic  
matrix is designed to optimise the calculation of $E[f(\xi)]$ in a  
Monte Carlo simulation. We present an iterative annealing algorithm  
that dynamically incorporates the estimation of the antithetic matrix  
within the Monte Carlo calculation.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4211


8191. Load optimization in a planar network
Author(s): Charles Bordenave (IMT) and Giovanni Luca Torrisi

Abstract: We analyze the asymptotic properties of an Euclidean  
optimization problem on the plane. Specifically, we consider a network  
with 3 bins and n objects spatially uniformly distributed, each object  
being allocated to a bin at a cost depending on its position. Two  
allocations are considered: the allocation minimizing the bin loads  
and the allocation allocating each object to its less costly bin. We  
analyze the asymptotic properties of these allocations as the number  
of objects grows to infinity. Using the symmetries of the problem, we  
derive a law of large numbers, a central limit theorem and a large  
deviation principle for both loads with explicit expressions. In  
particular, we prove that the two allocations satisfy the same law of  
large numbers, but they do not have the same asymptotic fluctuations  
and rate functions.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4304


8192. Scaling Limit of the Prudent Walk
Author(s): V. Beffara and S. Friedli and Y. Velenik

Abstract: We describe the scaling limit of the nearest neighbour  
prudent walk on the square lattice, which performs steps uniformly in  
directions in which it does not see sites already visited. We show  
that the process eventually settles in one of the quadrants, and  
derive its scaling limit, which can be expressed in terms of a pair of  
independent stable subordinators. We also show that the asymptotic  
speed of the walk is well-defined in the L_1 -norm and equals 3/7.  
This process possesses unusual properties: it is ballistic but does  
not have an asymptotic direction, and several natural observables  
display ageing.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4312


8193. A Note on variational solutions to SPDE perturbed by Gaussian  
noise in a general class
Author(s): Michael R\"ockner and Yi Wang

Abstract: This note deals with existence and uniqueness of  
(variational) solutions to the following type of stochastic partial  
differential equations on a Hilbert space H dX(t) = A(t,X(t))dt +  
B(t,X(t))dW(t) + h(t) dG(t) where A and B are random nonlinear  
operators satisfying monotonicity conditions and G is an infinite  
dimensional Gaussian process adapted to the same filtration as the  
cylindrical Wiener pocess W(t), t >= 0.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4324


8194. General tax structures and the Levy insurance risk model
Author(s): Andreas E.Kyprianou and Xiaowen Zhou

Abstract: In the spirit of previous of Albrecher, Hipp, Renaud and  
Zhou we consider a L\'evy insurance risk model with tax payments of a  
more general structure than in the aforementioned papers that was also  
considered in \cite{ABBR}. In terms of scale functions, we establish  
three fundamental identities of interest which have stimulated a large  
volume of actuarial research in recent years. That is to say, the two  
sided exit problem, the net present value of tax paid until ruin as  
well as a generalized version of the Gerber-Shiu function. The method  
we appeal to differs from former works in that we appeal predominantly  
to excursion theory.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4340


8195. Strong limit theorems for a simple random walk on the 2- 
dimensional comb
Author(s): E. Csaki and M. Csorgo and A. Foldes and P. Revesz

Abstract: We study the path behaviour of a simple random walk on the 2- 
dimensional comb lattice ${\mathbb C}^2$ that is obtained from $ 
{\mathbb Z}^2$ by removing all horizontal edges off the x-axis. In  
particular, we prove a strong approximation result for such a random  
walk which, in turn, enables us to establish strong limit theorems,  
like the joint Strassen type law of the iterated logarithm of its two  
components, as well as their marginal Hirsch type behaviour.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4369


8196. Theory of minimum spanning trees I: Mean-field theory and  
strongly disordered spin-glass model
Author(s): T. S. Jackson and N. Read

Abstract: The minimum spanning tree (MST) is a combinatorial  
optimization problem: given a connected graph with a real weight  
("cost") on each edge, find the spanning tree that minimizes the sum  
of the total cost of the occupied edges. We consider the random MST,  
in which the edge costs are (quenched) independent random variables.  
There is a strongly-disordered spin-glass model due to Newman and  
Stein [Phys. Rev. Lett. 72, 2286 (1994)], which maps precisely onto  
the random MST. We study scaling properties of random MSTs using a  
relation between Kruskal's greedy algorithm for finding the MST, and  
bond percolation. We solve the random MST problem on the Bethe lattice  
(BL) with appropriate wired boundary conditions and calculate the  
fractal dimension D=6 of the connected components. Viewed as a mean- 
field theory, the result implies that on a lattice in Euclidean space  
of dimension d, there are of order W^{d-D} large connected components  
of the random MST inside a window of size W, and that d = d_c = D = 6  
is a critical dimension. This differs from the value 8 suggested by  
Newman and Stein. We also critique the original argument for 8, and  
provide an improved scaling argument that again yields d_c=6. The  
result implies that the strongly-disordered spin-glass model has many  
ground states for d>6, and only of order one below six. The results  
for MSTs also apply on the Poisson-weighted infinite tree, which is a  
mean-field approach to the continuum model of MSTs in Euclidean space,  
and is a limit of the BL. In a companion paper we develop an epsilon=6- 
d expansion for the random MST on critical percolation clusters.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.3651


8197. Stationarity, time--reversal and fluctuation theory for a class  
of piecewise deterministic Markov processes
Author(s): Alessandra Faggionato and Davide Gabrielli and Marco  
Ribezzi Crivellari

Abstract: We consider a class of stochastic dynamical systems, called  
piecewise deterministic Markov processes, with states $(x, \s)\in \O 
\times \G$, $\O$ being a region in $\bbR^d$ or the $d$--dimensional  
torus, $\G$ being a finite set. The continuous variable $x$ follows a  
piecewise deterministic dynamics, the discrete variable $\s$ evolves  
by a stochastic jump dynamics and the two resulting evolutions are  
fully--coupled. We study stationarity, reversibility and time-- 
reversal symmetries of the process. Increasing the frequency of the $\s 
$--jumps, we show that the system behaves asymptotically as  
deterministic and we investigate the structure of fluctuations (i.e.  
deviations from the asymptotic behavior), recovering in a non  
Markovian frame results obtained by Bertini et al. \cite{BDGJL1,  
BDGJL2, BDGJL3, BDGJL4}, in the context of Markovian stochastic  
interacting particle systems. Finally, we discuss a Gallavotti--Cohen-- 
type symmetry relation with involution map different from time-- 
reversal. For several examples the above results are recovered by  
explicit computations.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4195


8198. Maximal inequality for high-dimensional cubes: quantitative  
estimates
Author(s): Guillaume Aubrun (ICJ)

Abstract: We present lower estimates for the best constant appearing  
in the weak (1,1) maximal inequality in the space $(\R^n,\|\cdot\| 
_{\infty})$. We show that it grows to infinity faster than $(\log  
n)^{\kappa}$ for any $\kappa <1$. We follow the approach used by J.M.  
Aldaz in a recent paper. The new part of the argument relies on  
Donsker's theorem identifying the Brownian bridge as the limit $(n \to  
\infty)$ of the empirical distribution function associated to  
coordinates of a point randomly chosen in the unit cube $[0,1]^n$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4305


8199. Connectivity, Percolation, and Information Dissemination in  
Large-Scale Wireless Networks with Dynamic Links
Author(s): Zhenning Kong and Edmund M. Yeh

Abstract: We investigate the problem of disseminating broadcast  
messages in wireless networks with time-varying links from a  
percolation-based perspective. Using a model of wireless networks  
based on random geometric graphs with dynamic on-off links, we show  
that the delay for disseminating broadcast information exhibits two  
behavioral regimes, corresponding to the phase transition of the  
underlying network connectivity. When the dynamic network is in the  
subcritical phase, ignoring propagation delays, the delay scales  
linearly with the Euclidean distance between the sender and the  
receiver. When the dynamic network is in the supercritical phase, the  
delay scales sub-linearly with the distance. Finally, we show that in  
the presence of a non-negligible propagation delay, the delay for  
information dissemination scales linearly with the Euclidean distance  
in both the subcritical and supercritical regimes, with the rates for  
the linear scaling being different in the two regimes.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4449


8200. Strategies of Voting in Stochastic Environment: Egoism and  
Collectivism
Author(s): V.I. Borzenko and Z.M. Lezina and A. K.Loginov and Ya.Yu.  
Tsodikova and and P.Yu. Chebotarev

Abstract: Consideration was given to a model of social dynamics  
controlled by successive collective decisions based on the threshold  
majority procedures. The current system state is characterized by the  
vector of participants' capitals (utilities). At each step, the voters  
can either retain their status quo or accept the proposal which is a  
vector of the algebraic increments in the capitals of the  
participants. In this version of the model, the vector is generated  
stochastically. Comparative utility of two social attitudes--egoism  
and collectivism--was analyzed. It was established that, except for  
some special cases, the collectivists have advantages, which makes  
realizable the following scenario: on the conditions of protecting the  
corporate interests, a group is created which is joined then by the  
egoists attracted by its achievements. At that, group egoism  
approaches altruism. Additionally, one of the considered variants of  
collectivism handicaps manipulation of voting by the organizers.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4460


8201. Asymptotic coupling and a weak form of Harris' theorem with  
applications to stochastic delay equations
Author(s): Martin Hairer and Jonathan C. Mattingly and Michael Scheutzow

Abstract: There are many Markov chains on infinite dimensional spaces  
whose one-step transition kernels are mutually singular when starting  
from different initial conditions. We give results which prove unique  
ergodicity under minimal assumptions on one hand and the existence of  
a spectral gap under conditions reminiscent of Harris' theorem. The  
first uses the existence of couplings which draw the solutions  
together as time goes to infinity. Such "asymptotic couplings" were  
central to recent work on SPDEs on which this work builds. The  
emphasis here is on stochastic differential delay equations.Harris'  
celebrated theorem states that if a Markov chain admits a Lyapunov  
function whose level sets are "small" (in the sense that transition  
probabilities are uniformly bounded from below), then it admits a  
unique invariant measure and transition probabilities converge towards  
it at exponential speed. This convergence takes place in a total  
variation norm, weighted by the Lyapunov function. A second aim of  
this article is to replace the notion of a "small set" by the much  
weaker notion of a "d-small set," which takes the topology of the  
underlying space into account via a distance-like function d. With  
this notion at hand, we prove an analogue to Harris' theorem, where  
the convergence takes place in a Wasserstein-like distance weighted  
again by the Lyapunov function. This abstract result is then applied  
to the framework of stochastic delay equations.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4495


8202. Geometric ergodicity of a bead-spring pair with stochastic  
Stokes forcing
Author(s): Jonathan C. Mattingly and Scott A. McKinley and Natesh S.  
Pillai

Abstract: We consider a simple model for the fluctuating hydrodynamics  
of a flexible polymer in dilute solution, demonstrating geometric  
ergodicity for a pair of particles that interact with each other  
through a nonlinear spring potential while being advected by a  
stochastic Stokes fluid velocity field. This is a generalization of  
previous models which have used linear spring forces as well as white- 
in-time fluid velocity fields. We follow previous work combining  
control theoretic arguments, Lyapunov functions, and hypo-elliptic  
diffusion theory to prove exponential convergence via a Harris chain  
argument. To this, we add the possibility of excluding certain "bad"  
sets in phase space in which the assumptions are violated but from  
which the systems leaves with a controllable probability. This allows  
for the treatment of singular drifts, such as those derived from the  
Lennard-Jones potential, which is an novel feature of this work.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4496


8203. Many-Sources Large Deviations for Max-Weight Scheduling
Author(s): Vijay G. Subramanian and Tara Javidi and Somsak Kittipiyakul

Abstract: In this paper, a many-sources large deviations principle  
(LDP) for the transient workload of a multi-queue single-server system  
is established where the service rates are chosen from a compact,  
convex and coordinate-convex rate region and where the service  
discipline is the max-weight policy. Under the assumption that the  
arrival processes satisfy a many-sources LDP, this is accomplished by  
employing Garcia's extended contraction principle that is applicable  
to quasi-continuous mappings. For the simplex rate-region, an LDP for  
the stationary workload is also established under the additional  
requirements that the scheduling policy be work-conserving and that  
the arrival processes satisfy certain mixing conditions. The LDP  
results can be used to calculate asymptotic buffer overflow  
probabilities accounting for the multiplexing gain, when the arrival  
process is an average of \emph{i.i.d.} processes. The rate function  
for the stationary workload is expressed in term of the rate functions  
of the finite-horizon workloads when the arrival processes have  
\emph{i.i.d.} increments.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4569


8204. The CRT is the scaling limit of unordered binary trees
Author(s): Jean-Fran\c{c}ois Marckert (LaBRI) and Gr\'egory Miermont  
(ENS)

Abstract: We prove that a uniform, rooted unordered binary tree with $n 
$ vertices has the Brownian continuum random tree as its scaling limit  
for the Gromov-Hausdorff topology. The limit is thus, up to a constant  
factor, the same as that of uniform plane trees or labeled trees. Our  
analysis rests on a combinatorial and probabilistic study of  
appropriate trimming procedures of trees.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4570


8205. Criteria for hitting probabilities with applications to systems  
of stochastic wave equations
Author(s): Robert C. Dalang and Marta Sanz-Sol\'e

Abstract: We develop several results on hitting probabilities of  
random fields which highlight the role of the dimension of the  
parameter space. This yields upper and lower bounds in terms of  
Hausdorff measure and Bessel-Riesz capacity, respectively. We apply  
these results to a system of stochastic wave equations in spatial  
dimension $k\ge1$ driven by a $d$-dimensional spatially homogeneous  
additive Gaussian noise that is white in time and colored in space.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4583


8206. Analytical Expression of the Expected Values of Capital at  
Voting in the Stochastic Environment
Author(s): Pavel Chebotarev

Abstract: In the simplest version of the model of group decision  
making in the stochastic environment, the participants are segregated  
into egoists and a group of collectivists. A "proposal of the  
environment" is a stochastically generated vector of algebraic  
increments of capitals. The social dynamics is determined by the  
sequence of proposals accepted by a majority voting (with a threshold)  
of the participants. In this paper, we obtain analytical expressions  
for the expected values of capitals for all the participants,  
including collectivists and egoists. In addition, distinctions between  
some principles of group voting are discussed.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4514


8207. A combinatorial analysis of interacting diffusions
Author(s): Sourav Chatterjee and Soumik Pal

Abstract: We consider a particular class of n-dimensional homogeneous  
diffusions all of which have an identity diffusion matrix and a drift  
function that is piecewise constant and scale invariant. Abstract  
stochastic calculus immediately gives us general results about  
existence and uniqueness in law and invariant probability  
distributions when they exist. These invariant distributions are  
probability measures on the $n$-dimensional space and can be extremely  
resistant to a more detailed understanding. To have a better analysis,  
we construct a polyhedra such that the inward normal at its surface is  
given by the drift function and show that the finer structures of the  
invariant probability measure is intertwined with the geometry of the  
polyhedra. We show that several natural interacting Brownian particle  
models can thus be analyzed by studying the combinatorial fan  
generated by the drift function, particularly when these are  
simplicial. This is the case when the polyhedra is a polytope that is  
invariant under a Coxeter group action, which leads to an explicit  
description of the invariant measures in terms of iid Exponential  
random variables. Another class of examples is furnished by  
interactions indexed by weighted graphs all of which generate  
simplicial polytopes with $n !$ faces. We show that the proportion of  
volume contained in each component simplex corresponds to a  
probability distribution on the group of permutations, some of which  
have surprising connections with the classical urn models.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4762


8208. Relative frequencies in multitype branching processes
Author(s): Andrei Y. Yakovlev and Nikolay M. Yanev

Abstract: This paper considers the relative frequencies of distinct  
types of individuals in multitype branching processes. We prove that  
the frequencies are asymptotically multivariate normal when the  
initial number of ancestors is large and the time of observation is  
fixed. The result is valid for any branching process with a finite  
number of types; the only assumption required is that of independent  
individual evolutions. The problem under consideration is motivated by  
applications in the area of cell biology. Specifically, the reported  
limiting results are of advantage in cell kinetics studies where the  
relative frequencies but not the absolute cell counts are accessible  
to measurement. Relevant statistical applications are discussed in the  
context of asymptotic maximum likelihood inference for multitype  
branching processes.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4773


8209. Degenerate diffusions arising from gene duplication models
Author(s): Rick Durrett and Lea Popovic

Abstract: We consider two processes that have been used to study gene  
duplication, Watterson's [Genetics 105 (1983) 745--766] double  
recessive null model and Lynch and Force's [Genetics 154 (2000)  
459--473] subfunctionalization model. Though the state spaces of these  
diffusions are two and six-dimensional, respectively, we show in each  
case that the diffusion stays close to a curve. Using ideas of  
Katzenberger [Ann. Probab. 19 (1991) 1587--1628] we show that one- 
dimensional projections converge to diffusion processes, and we obtain  
asymptotics for the time to loss of one gene copy. As a corollary we  
find that the probability of subfunctionalization decreases  
exponentially fast as the population size increases. This rigorously  
confirms a result Ward and Durrett [Theor. Pop. Biol. 66 (2004)  
93--100] found by simulation that the likelihood of  
subfunctionalization for gene duplicates decays exponentially fast as  
the population size increases.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4780


8210. Integrated functionals of normal and fractional processes
Author(s): Boris Buchmann and Ngai Hang Chan

Abstract: Consider $Z^f_t(u)=\int_0^{tu}f(N_s) ds$, $t>0$, $u 
\in[0,1]$, where $N=(N_t)_{t\in\mathbb{R}}$ is a normal process and $f 
$ is a measurable real-valued function satisfying $Ef(N_0)^2<\infty$  
and $Ef(N_0)=0$. If the dependence is sufficiently weak Hariz [J.  
Multivariate Anal. 80 (2002) 191--216] showed that $Z_t^f/t^{1/2}$  
converges in distribution to a multiple of standard Brownian motion as  
$t\to\infty$. If the dependence is sufficiently strong, then $Z_t/ 
(EZ_t(1)^2)^{1/2}$ converges in distribution to a higher order Hermite  
process as $t\to\infty$ by a result by Taqqu [Wahrsch. Verw. Gebiete  
50 (1979) 53--83]. When passing from weak to strong dependence, a  
unique situation encompassed by neither results is encountered. In  
this paper, we investigate this situation in detail and show that the  
limiting process is still a Brownian motion, but a nonstandard norming  
is required. We apply our result to some functionals of fractional  
Brownian motion which arise in time series. For all Hurst indices $H 
\in(0,1)$, we give their limiting distributions. In this context, we  
show that the known results are only applicable to $H<3/4$ and  
$H>3/4$, respectively, whereas our result covers $H=3/4$.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4784


8211. A Berry--Esseen theorem for sample quantiles under weak dependence
Author(s): S. N. Lahiri and S. Sun

Abstract: This paper proves a Berry--Esseen theorem for sample  
quantiles of strongly-mixing random variables under a polynomial  
mixing rate. The rate of normal approximation is shown to be  
$O(n^{-1/2})$ as $n\to\infty$, where $n$ denotes the sample size. This  
result is in sharp contrast to the case of the sample mean of strongly- 
mixing random variables where the rate $O(n^{-1/2})$ is not known even  
under an exponential strong mixing rate. The main result of the paper  
has applications in finance and econometrics as financial time series  
data often are heavy-tailed and quantile based methods play an  
important role in various problems in finance, including hedging and  
risk management.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4796


8212. The calculation of expectations for classes of diffusion  
processes by Lie symmetry methods
Author(s): Mark Craddock and Kelly A. Lennox

Abstract: This paper uses Lie symmetry methods to calculate certain  
expectations for a large class of It\^{o} diffusions. We show that if  
the problem has sufficient symmetry, then the problem of computing  
functionals of the form $E_x(e^{-\lambda X_t-\int_0^tg(X_s) ds})$ can  
be reduced to evaluating a single integral of known functions. Given a  
drift $f$ we determine the functions $g$ for which the corresponding  
functional can be calculated by symmetry. Conversely, given $g$, we  
can determine precisely those drifts $f$ for which the transition  
density and the functional may be computed by symmetry. Many examples  
are presented to illustrate the method.

http://arxiv.org/abs/0902.4806




-----------------------------------
Stefano M. Iacus
Department of Economics,
Business and Statistics
University of Milan
Via Conservatorio, 7
I-20123 Milan - Italy
Ph.: +39 02 50321 461
Fax: +39 02 50321 505
http://www.economia.unimi.it/iacus
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