Harnack inequalities for Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes driven by Lévy processes

By using the existing sharp estimates of the density function for rotationally invariant symmetric α-stable Lévy processes and rotationally invariant symmetric truncated α-stable Lévy processes, we obtain that the Harnack inequalities hold for rotationally invariant symmetric α-stable Lévy processes with α∈(0,2) and Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes driven by rotationally invariant symmetric α-stable Lévy process, while the logarithmic Harnack inequalities are satisfied for rotationally invariant symmetric truncated α-stable Lévy processes.     

Ergodicity for time-changed symmetric stable processes

In this paper we study ergodicity and related semigroup property for a class of symmetric Markov jump processes associated with time-changed symmetric α$\alpha$-stable processes. For this purpose, explicit and sharp criteria for Poincaré type inequalities (including Poincaré, super Poincaré and weak Poincaré inequalities) of the corresponding non-local Dirichlet forms are derived. Moreover, our main results, when applied to a class of one-dimensional stochastic differential equations driven by symmetric α$\alpha$-stable processes, yield sharp criteria for their various ergodic properties and corresponding functional inequalities.     

Estimates on the Transition Densities of Girsanov Transforms of Symmetric Stable Processes

In this paper, we first study a purely discontinuous Girsanov transform which is more general than that studied in Chen and Song [(2003), J. Funct. Anal. 201, 262–281]. Then we show that the transition density of any purely discontinuous Girsanov transform of a symmetric stable process is comparable to the transition density of the symmetric stable process. The same is true for the Girsanov transform introduced in Chen and Zhang [(2002), Ann. Inst. Henri poincaré 38, 475–505]. As an application of these results, we show that the Green function of Feynman–Kac type transforms of symmetric stable processes by continuous additive functionals of zero energy, when exists, is comparable to that of the symmetric stable process.      

Exponential ergodicity and regularity for equations with Lévy noise

We prove exponential convergence to the invariant measure, in the total variation norm, for solutions of SDEs driven by α-stable noises in finite and in infinite dimensions. Two approaches are used. The first one is based on Liapunov’s function approach by Harris, and the second on Doeblin’s coupling argument in [8]. Irreducibility and uniform strong Feller property play an essential role in both approaches. We concentrate on two classes of Markov processes: solutions of finite dimensional equations, introduced in [27], with Hölder continuous drift and a general, non-degenerate, symmetric α-stable noise, and infinite dimensional parabolic systems, introduced in [29], with Lipschitz drift and cylindrical α-stable noise. We show that if the nonlinearity is bounded, then the processes are exponential mixing. This improves, in particular, an earlier result established in [28], with a different method.     

Potential Theory of Geometric Stable Processes

In this paper we study the potential theory of symmetric geometric stable processes by realizing them as subordinate Brownian motions with geometric stable subordinators. More precisely, we establish the asymptotic behaviors of the Green function and the Lévy density of symmetric geometric stable processes. The asymptotics of these functions near zero exhibit features that are very different from the ones for stable processes. The Green function behaves near zero as 1/(|x|^d log ²|x|), while the Lévy density behaves like 1/|x|^d. We also study the asymptotic behaviors of the Green function and Lévy density of subordinate Brownian motions with iterated geometric stable subordinators. As an application, we establish estimates on the capacity of small balls for these processes, as well as mean exit time estimates from small balls and a Harnack inequality for these processes. The research of this author is supported in part by MZT grant 0037118 of the Republic of Croatia and in part by a joint US-Croatia grant INT 0302167. The research of this author is supported in part by a joint US-Croatia grant INT 0302167. The research of this author is supported in part by MZT grant 0037107 of the Republic of Croatia and in part by a joint US-Croatia grant INT 0302167.     

Boundary Behavior of α-Harmonic Functions on the Complement of the Sphere and Hyperplane

We study α-harmonic functions on the complement of the sphere and on the complement of the hyperplane in Euclidean spaces of dimension bigger than one, for α?∈?(1,2). We describe the corresponding Hardy spaces and prove the Fatou theorem for α-harmonic functions. We also give explicit formulas for the Martin kernel of the complement of the sphere and for the harmonic measure, Green function and Martin kernel of the complement of the hyperplane for the symmetric α-stable Lévy processes. Some extensions for the relativistic α-stable processes are discussed.     

Green function estimates for relativistic stable processes in half-space-like open sets

In this paper, we establish sharp two-sided estimates for the Green functions of relativistic stable processes (i.e. Green functions for non-local operators m−(m^2/α−Δ)^α/2) in half-space-like C^1,1 open sets. The estimates are uniform in m∈(0,M] for each fixed M∈(0,∞). When m↓0, our estimates reduce to the sharp Green function estimates for −(−Δ)^α/2 in such kind of open sets that were obtained recently in Chen and Tokle [12]. As a tool for proving our Green function estimates, we show that a boundary Harnack principle for X^m, which is uniform for all m∈(0,∞), holds for a large class of non-smooth open sets.     

On strong solutions for positive definite jump diffusions

We show the existence of unique global strong solutions of a class of stochastic differential equations on the cone of symmetric positive definite matrices. Our result includes affine diffusion processes and therefore extends considerably the known statements concerning Wishart processes, which have recently been extensively employed in financial mathematics.Moreover, we consider stochastic differential equations where the diffusion coefficient is given by the αth positive semidefinite power of the process itself with 0.5<α<1 and obtain existence conditions for them. In the case of a diffusion coefficient which is linear in the process we likewise get a positive definite analogue of the univariate GARCH diffusions.     

Decomposability for stable processes

We characterize all possible independent symmetric α-stable (SαS) components of an SαS process, 0<α<2. In particular, we focus on stationary SαS processes and their independent stationary SαS components. We also develop a parallel characterization theory for max-stable processes.     

Generalized 3G theorem and application to relativistic stable process on non-smooth open sets

Let G(x,y) and GD(x,y) be the Green functions of rotationally invariant symmetric α-stable process in Rd and in an open set D, respectively, where 0<α<2. The inequality GD(x,y)GD(y,z)/GD(x,z)?c(G(x,y)+G(y,z)) is a very useful tool in studying (local) Schrödinger operators. When the above inequality is true with c=c(D)∈(0,∞), then we say that the 3G theorem holds in D. In this paper, we establish a generalized version of 3G theorem when D is a bounded κ-fat open set, which includes a bounded John domain. The 3G we consider is of the form GD(x,y)GD(z,w)/GD(x,w), where y may be different from z. When y=z, we recover the usual 3G. The 3G form GD(x,y)GD(z,w)/GD(x,w) appears in non-local Schrödinger operator theory. Using our generalized 3G theorem, we give a concrete class of functions belonging to the non-local Kato class, introduced by Chen and Song, on κ-fat open sets. As an application, we discuss relativistic α-stable processes (relativistic Hamiltonian when α=1) in κ-fat open sets. We identify the Martin boundary and the minimal Martin boundary with the Euclidean boundary for relativistic α-stable processes in κ-fat open sets. Furthermore, we show that relative Fatou type theorem is true for relativistic stable processes in κ-fat open sets. The main results of this paper hold for a large class of symmetric Markov processes, as are illustrated in the last section of this paper. We also discuss the generalized 3G theorem for a large class of symmetric stable Lévy processes.     

On the convergence of LePage series in Skorokhod space

We consider the problem of the convergence of the so-called LePage series in the Skorokhod space D^d=D([0,1],R^d) and provide a simple criterion based on the moments of the increments of the random process involved in the series. This provides a simple sufficient condition for the existence of an α-stable distribution on D^d with given spectral measure.     

Reflected Symmetric α-Stable Processes and Regional Fractional Laplacian

In this paper we investigate the reflected symmetric α-stable processes and their generators. We show that the generators are regional fractional Laplacians on the closed region. In the case of 1≤α<2 their existence requires that on the boundary. Among other things we obtain the integration by parts formula of the regional fractional Laplacian and the semi-martingale decomposition of the reflected symmetric α-stable processes.     

A class of asymptotically self-similar stable processes with stationary increments

We generalize the BM-local time fractional symmetric α$\alpha$-stable motion introduced in Cohen and Samorodnitsky (2006) by replacing the local time with a general continuous additive functional (CAF). We show that the resulting process is again symmetric α$\alpha$-stable with stationary increments. Depending on the CAF, the process is either self-similar or lies in the domain of attraction of the BM-local time fractional symmetric α$\alpha$-stable motion. We also show that the process arises as a weak limit of a discrete “random rewards scheme” similar to the one described by Cohen and Samorodnitsky.     

The Cauchy process and the Steklov problem

Let X_t be a Cauchy process in . We investigate some of the fine spectral theoretic properties of the semigroup of this process killed upon leaving a domain D. We establish a connection between the semigroup of this process and a mixed boundary value problem for the Laplacian in one dimension higher, known as the “Mixed Steklov Problem.” Using this we derive a variational characterization for the eigenvalues of the Cauchy process in D. This characterization leads to many detailed properties of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for the Cauchy process inspired by those for Brownian motion. Our results are new even in the simplest geometric setting of the interval (−1,1) where we obtain more precise information on the size of the second and third eigenvalues and on the geometry of their corresponding eigenfunctions. Such results, although trivial for the Laplacian, take considerable work to prove for the Cauchy processes and remain open for general symmetric α-stable processes. Along the way we present other general properties of the eigenfunctions, such as real analyticity, which even though well known in the case of the Laplacian, are not available for more general symmetric α-stable processes.     

Asymptotic results for time-changed Lévy processes sampled at hitting times

We provide asymptotic results for time-changed Lévy processes sampled at random instants. The sampling times are given by the first hitting times of symmetric barriers, whose distance with respect to the starting point is equal to ε. For a wide class of Lévy processes, we introduce a renormalization depending on ε, under which the Lévy process converges in law to an α-stable process as ε goes to 0. The convergence is extended to moments of hitting times and overshoots. These results can be used to build high frequency statistical procedures. As examples, we construct consistent estimators of the time change and, in the case of the CGMY process, of the Blumenthal-Getoor index. Convergence rates and a central limit theorem for suitable functionals of the increments of the observed process are established under additional assumptions.     

Harnack Inequalities for Jump Processes

We consider a class of pure jump Markov processes in R ^d whose jump kernels are comparable to those of symmetric stable processes. We establish a Harnack inequality for nonnegative functions that are harmonic with respect to these processes. We also establish regularity for the solutions to certain integral equations.     

Mortality modelling with Lévy processes

This paper addresses the modelling of human mortality by the aid of doubly stochastic processes with an intensity driven by a positive Lévy process. We focus on intensities having a mean reverting stochastic component. Furthermore, driving Lévy processes are pure jump processes belonging to the class of α-stable subordinators. In this setting, expressions of survival probabilities are inferred, the pricing is discussed and numerical applications to actuarial valuations are proposed.     

Dirichlet Heat Kernel Estimates for Stable Processes with Singular Drift In Unbounded C 1,1 Open Sets

Suppose d ≥ 2 and α ∈ (1, 2). Let D be a (not necessarily bounded) C ^1,1 open set in ? ^d and μ = (μ ¹, . . . , μ ^d ) where each μ ^j is a signed measure on ? ^d belonging to a certain Kato class of the rotationally symmetric α-stable process X. Let X ^μ be an α-stable process with drift μ in ? ^d and let X ^μ,D be the subprocess of X ^μ in D. In this paper, we derive sharp two-sided estimates for the transition density of X ^μ,D .