A mini-tutorial on measure-valued Markov processes and nonlinear martingale problems—As a reply to McCauley's comment

One goal of this mini-tutorial is to provide an introduction into the theory of measure-valued Markov processes and nonlinear martingales defined by strongly nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations and to discuss the physical relevance of the associated processes. Another goal is to reply to McCauley's comment on T.D. Frank [Physica A 331, 391 (2004)]. The tutorial addresses in detail two approaches found in physics and mathematics. The first approach exploits a mapping between linear and nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations. The second approach exploits martingale theory. Several examples of Markov processes and martingales in quantum mechanical, nonextensive, and self-organizing systems defined by nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations are discussed.     

Non-Markov stochastic processes satisfying equations usually associated with a Markov process

There are non-Markov Ito processes that satisfy the Fokker-Planck, backward time Kolmogorov, and Chapman-Kolmogorov equations. These processes are non-Markov in that they may remember an initial condition formed at the start of the ensemble. Some may even admit 1-point densities that satisfy a nonlinear 1-point diffusion equation. However, these processes are linear, the Fokker-Planck equation for the conditional density (the 2-point density) is linear. The memory may be in the drift coefficient (representing a flow), in the diffusion coefficient, or in both. We illustrate the phenomena via exactly solvable examples. In the last section we show how such memory may appear in cooperative phenomena.     

Diffusion in a bistable potential: A systematic WKB treatment

We study the distributionP of a single stochastic variable, the evolution of which is described by a Fokker-Planck equation with a first moment deriving from a bistable potential, in the limit of constant and small diffusion coefficient. A systematic WKB analysis of the lowest eigenmodes of the equivalent Schrödinger-like equation yields the following results: the final approach to equilibrium is governed by the Kramers high-viscosity rate, which is shown to be exact in this limit; for intermediate times, we show that Suzuki's scaling statement does give the correct behavior for the transition between the one-peak and the two-peak structure forP. However, the intermediate time domain also contains a second half, whereP enters the diffusive equilibrium regions, characterized by a time scale of the same order as Suzuki's time.     

Analysis of nonstationary,Gaussian and non-Gaussian,generalized Langevin equations using methods of multiplicative stochastic processes

Using the methods of multiplicative stochastic processes, a thorough analysis of non-Markovian, generalized Langevin equations is presented. For the Gaussian case, these methods are used to show that the nonstationary Fokker-Planck equation already found by Adelman and others is also obtainable from van Kampen's lemma for stochastic probability flows. Here, results applicable to an arbitraryn-component process are obtained and the specific two-component case of the Brownian harmonic oscillator is presented in detail in order to explicitly exhibit the matrix algebraic methods. The non-Gaussian case is presented at the end of the paper and shows that the methods already used in the Gaussian case lead directly to results for the non-Gaussian case. In order to use the methods of multiplicative stochastic processes analysis, it is necessary to transform the non-Markovian, generalized Langevin equation using a stochastic extension of a transformation discussed by Adelman. This transformation removes the memory kernel term in the usual generalized Langevin equation and in the Gaussian case leads to the result that the original process was in fact not non-Markovian but actually nonstationary,Markovian.Supported through a fellowship from the Alfred P. Sioan Foundation.     

The Fokker-Planck equation for arbitrary nonlinear noise

We present the Fokker-Planck equation for arbitrary nonlinear noise terms. The white noise limit is taken as the zero correlation time limit of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. The drift and diffusion coefficients of the Fokker-Planck equation are given by triple integrals of the fluctuations. We apply the Fokker-Planck equation to the active rotator model with a fluctuating potential barrier which depends nonlinearly on an additive noise. We show that the nonlinearity may be transformed into the correlation of linear noise terms.     

Noise-intensity fluctuation in Langevin model and its higher-order Fokker-Planck equation

In this paper, we investigate a Langevin model subjected to stochastic intensity noise (SIN), which incorporates temporal fluctuations in noise-intensity. We derive a higher-order Fokker-Planck equation (HFPE) of the system, taking into account the effect of SIN by the adiabatic elimination technique. Stationary distributions of the HFPE are calculated by using the perturbation expansion. We investigate the effect of SIN in three cases: (a) parabolic and quartic bistable potentials with additive noise, (b) a quartic potential with multiplicative noise, and (c) a stochastic gene expression model. We find that the existence of noise-intensity fluctuations induces an intriguing phenomenon of a bimodal-to-trimodal transition in probability distributions. These results are validated with Monte Carlo simulations.     

Stochastic evolution of cosmological parameters in the early universe

We develop a stochastic formulation of cosmology in the early universe, after considering the scatter in the redshift-apparent magnitude diagram in the early epochs as an observational evidence for the non-deterministic evolution of early universe. We consider the stochastic evolution of density parameter in the early universe after the inflationary phase qualitatively, under the assumption of fluctuating w factor in the equation of state, in the Fokker-Planck formalism. Since the scale factor for the universe depends on the energy density, from the coupled Friedmann equations we calculated the two variable probability distribution function assuming a flat space geometry.     

Stochastic quantization and detailed balance in Fokker-Planck dynamics

The path integral and operator formulations of the Fokker-Planck equation are considered as stochastic quantizations of underlying Euler-Lagrange equations. The operator formalism is derived from the path integral formalism. It is proved that the Euler-Lagrange equations are invariant under time reversal if detailed balance holds and it is shown that the irreversible behavior is introduced through the stochastic quantization. To obtain these results for the nonconstant diffusion Fokker-Planck equation, a transformation is introduced to reduce it to a constant diffusion Fokker-Planck equation. Critical comments are made on the stochastic formulation of quantum mechanics.     

Non-Markovian reversible Chapman-Kolmogorov measures on subshifts of finite type

We consider shift-invariant probability measures on subshift dynamical systems with a transition matrixA which satisfies the Chapman-Kolmogorov equation for some stochastic matrix compatible withA. We call them Chapman-Kolmogorov measures. A nonequilibrium entropy is associated to this class of dynamical systems. We show that ifA is irreducible and aperiodic, then there are Chapman-Kolmogorov measures distinct from the Markov chain associated with and its invariant row probability vectorq. If, moreover, (q, ) is a reversible chain, then we construct reversible Chapman-Kolmogorov measures on the subshift which are distinct from (q, ).     

Stochastic equations of the Langevin type under a weakly dependent perturbation

Asymptotic expansions for the probability density of the solution of a stochastic differential equation under a weakly dependent perturbation are proposed. In particular, linear partial differential equations for the first two terms of the correlation time expansion are derived. It is shown that in these expansions the boundary layer part appears and non-Gaussianity of the perturbation is important for the Fokker-Planck approximation correction.     

Stochastic quantization and path integral formulation of Fokker-Planck equation

The operator formalism (Fokker-Planck dynamics) associated to a general n-dimensional, non-linear drift, non-constant diffusion Fokker-Planck equation, is derived by a stochastic quantization from the corresponding path integral formulation in phase space.     

A WKB treatment of diffusion in a multidimensional bistable potential

We extend to the case of a finite set of stochastic variables whose distributionP obeys a nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation our previous treatment of diffusion in a bistable potentialU, in the limit of small, constant diffusion coefficient. This is done with the help of an extended WKB approximation due to Gervais and Sakita. The treatment is valid if there exists a well-defined most probable path connecting the minima ofU, and if the valley ofU along that path has a slowly varying width, and weak curvature and twisting. We find that: (i) the final approach to equilibrium is governed by Eyring's generalization of the Kramers high-viscosity rate, which we rederive; (ii) for intermediate times, if the initial distribution is concentrated in the region of instability (close vicinity of the saddle point ofU),P has, along the most probable path, the behavior described by Suzuki's scaling statement for a one-dimensional system. In a second part of this time domain,P enters the diffusive regions around the minima ofU and relaxes toward local longitudinal equilibrium on a time comparable with Suzuki's time scale. The time for relaxation toward transverse local equilibrium may, depending on the initial conditions, compete with these longitudinal times.We dedicate this work to our colleague, Yuri Orlov.     

On stochastic complex beam-beam interaction models with Gaussian colored noise

This paper is to continue our study on complex beam-beam interaction models in particle accelerators with random excitations Y. Xu, W. Xu, G.M. Mahmoud, On a complex beam-beam interaction model with random forcing [Physica A 336 (2004) 347-360]. The random noise is taken as the form of exponentially correlated Gaussian colored noise, and the transition probability density function is obtained in terms of a perturbation expansion of the parameter. Then the method of stochastic averaging based on perturbation technique is used to derive a Fokker-Planck equation for the transition probability density function. The solvability condition and the general transforms using the method of characteristics are proposed to obtain the approximate expressions of probability density function to order ε.Also the exact stationary probability density and the first and second moments of the amplitude are obtained, and one can find when the correlation time equals to zero, the result is identical to that derived from the Stratonovich-Khasminskii theorem for the same model under a broad-band excitation in our previous work.     

Fokker-Planck equation with fractional coordinate derivatives

Using the generalized Kolmogorov-Feller equation with long-range interaction, we obtain kinetic equations with fractional derivatives with respect to coordinates. The method of successive approximations, with averaging with respect to a fast variable, is used. The main assumption is that the correlation function of probability densities of particles to make a step has a power-law dependence. As a result, we obtain a Fokker-Planck equation with fractional coordinate derivative of order 1<α<2.     

Variational supersymmetric approach to evaluate Fokker-Planck probability

In this work we introduce a method to determine the time dependent probability density for the one-dimensional Fokker-Planck equation. The treatment is based in an analysis of the Schrödinger equation through the variational method associated to the formalism of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SQM). The approach uses an ansatz for the superpotential which allows us to obtain the trial functions of the variational method. The hierarchy of effective Hamiltonians permits us to determine the variational eigenfunctions and energies of the excited states to the evaluation of the probability. The symmetric bistable potential is used to illustrate the approach whose results are compared with results obtained by the state-dependent diagonalization method and by direct numerical calculation.     

The underlying Brownian motion of nonrelativistic quantum mechanics

Nonrelativistic quantum mechanics can be derived from real Markov diffusion processes by extending the concept of probability measure to the complex domain. This appears as the only natural way of introducing formally classical probabilistic concepts into quantum mechanics. To every quantum state there is a corresponding complex Fokker-Planck equation. The particle drift is conditioned by an auxiliary equation which is obtained through stochastic energy conservation; the logarithmic transform of this equation is the Schrödinger equation. To every quantum mechanical operator there is a stochastic process; the replacement of operators by processes leads to all the well-known results of quantum mechanics, using stochastic calculus instead of formal quantum rules. Comparison is made with the classical stochastic approaches and the Feynman path integral formulation.     

Variable Step Random Walks and Self-Similar Distributions

We study a scenario under which variable step random walks give anomalous statistics. We begin by analyzing the Martingale Central Limit Theorem to find a sufficient condition for the limit distribution to be non-Gaussian. We study the case when the scaling index∼ζ is∼1₂. For corresponding continuous time processes, it is shown that the probability density function W(x;t) satisfies the Fokker–Planck equation. Possible forms for the diffusion coefficient are given, and related to W(x,t). Finally, we show how a time-series can be used to distinguish between these variable diffusion processes and Lévy dynamics.     

ISSDE: A Monte Carlo implicit simulation code based on Stratonovich SDE approach of Coulomb collision

A Monte Carlo implicit simulation program, Implicit Stratonovich Stochastic Differential Equations(ISSDE), is developed for solving stochastic differential equations(SDEs) that describe plasmas with Coulomb collision. The basic idea of the program is the stochastic equivalence between the Fokker–Planck equation and the Stratonovich SDEs. The splitting method is used to increase the numerical stability of the algorithm for dynamics of charged particles with Coulomb collision. The cases of Lorentzian plasma, Maxwellian plasma and arbitrary distribution function of background plasma have been considered. The adoption of the implicit midpoint method guarantees exactly the energy conservation for the diffusion term and thus improves the numerical stability compared with conventional Runge–Kutta methods. ISSDE is built with C++ and has standard interfaces and extensible modules. The slowing down processes of electron beams in unmagnetized plasma and relaxation process in magnetized plasma are studied using the ISSDE, which shows its correctness and reliability.     

Augmented Langevin approach to fluctuations in nonlinear irreversible processes

A Fokker-Planck equation derived from statistical mechanics by M. S. Green [J. Chem. Phys. 20:1281 (1952)] has been used by Grabertet al. [Phys. Rev. A 21:2136 (1980)] to study fluctuations in nonlinear irreversible processes. These authors remarked that a phenomenological Langevin approach would not have given the correct reversible part of the Fokker-Planck drift flux, from which they concluded that the Langevin approach is untrustworthy for systems with partly reversible fluxes. Here it is shown that a simple modification of the Langevin approach leads to precisely the same covariant Fokker-Planck equation as that of Grabertet al., including the reversible drift terms. The modification consists of augmenting the usual nonlinear Langevin equation by adding to the deterministic flow a correction term which vanishes in the limit of zero fluctuations, and which is self-consistently determined from the assumed form of the equilibrium distribution by imposing the usual potential conditions. This development provides a simple phenomenological route to the Fokker-Planck equation of Green, which has previously appeared to require a more microscopic treatment. It also extends the applicability of the Langevin approach to fluctuations in a wider class of nonlinear systems.