A note on branching Lévy processes

We show for the branching Lévy process that it is possible to construct two classes of multiplicative martingales using stopping lines and solutions to one of two source equations. The first class, similar to those martingales of Chauvin (1991, Ann. Probab. 30, 1195–1205) and Neveu (1988, Seminar on Stochastic Processes 1987, Progress in Probability and Statistics, vol. 15, Birkhaüser, Boston, pp. 223–241) have a source equation which provides travelling wave solutions to a generalized version of the K-P-P equation. For the second class of martingales, similar to those of Biggins and Kyprianou (1997, Ann. Probab. 25, 337–360), the source equation is a functional equation. We show further that under reasonably broad circumstances, these equations share the same solutions and hence the two types of martingales are one and the same. This conclusion also tells us something more about the nature of the solutions to the first of our two equations.     

Abrupt Lévy processes

Among Lévy processes with unbounded variation, we distinguish the abrupt ones, which are characterised by infinitely sharp extrema. Stable processes with parameter α>1 and creeping Lévy processes are abrupt. We give a characterisation of abrupt processes and study their Dini derivatives at all points of their trajectories.     

Mehler semigroups,Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes and background driving Lévy processes on locally compact groups and on hypergroups

For finite dimensional vector spaces it is well-known that there exists a 1-1-correspondence between distributions of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck type processes (w.r.t. a fixed group of automorphisms) and (background driving) Lévy processes, hence between M- or skew convolution semigroups on the one hand and continuous convolution semigroups on the other. An analogous result could be proved for simply connected nilpotent Lie groups. Here we extend this correspondence to a class of commutative hypergroups.     

Lévy processes and quasi-shuffle algebras

We investigate the algebra of repeated integrals of semimartingales. We prove that a minimal family of semimartingales generates a quasi-shuffle algebra. In essence, to fulfil the minimality criterion, first, the family must be a minimal generator of the algebra of repeated integrals generated by its elements and by quadratic covariation processes recursively constructed from the elements of the family. Second, recursively constructed quadratic covariation processes may lie in the linear span of previously constructed quadratic covariation processes and of the family, but may not lie in the linear span of repeated integrals of these. We prove that a finite family of independent Lévy processes that have finite moments generates a minimal family. Key to the proof are the Teugels martingales and a strong orthogonalization of them. We conclude that a finite family of independent Lévy processes forms a quasi-shuffle algebra. We discuss important potential applications to constructing efficient numerical methods for the strong approximation of stochastic differential equations driven by Lévy processes.     

Lower functions for asymmetric Lévy processes

Summary Let {X _t } be a ¹ process with stationary independent increments and its Lévy measurev be given byv{yy>x}=x ^–L ₁ (x), v{yy<–x}=x ^–L ₂ (x) whereL ₁,L ₂ are slowly varying at 0 and and 0<1. We construct two types of a nondecreasing functionh(t) depending on 0<<1 or =1 such that lim inf a.s. ast 0 andt for some positive finite constantC.This research is partialy supported by a grant from Korea University     

Structural properties of reflected Lévy processes

This paper considers a number of structural properties of reflected Lévy processes, where both one-sided reflection (at 0) and two-sided reflection (at both 0 and K>0) are examined. With V _t being the position of the reflected process at time t, we focus on the analysis of $\zeta(t):=\mathbb{E}V_{t}$ and $\xi(t):=\mathbb{V}\mathrm{ar}V_{t}$ . We prove that for the one- and two-sided reflection, ζ(t) is increasing and concave, whereas for the one-sided reflection, ξ(t) is increasing. In most proofs we first establish the claim for the discrete-time counterpart (that is, a reflected random walk), and then use a limiting argument. A key step in our proofs for the two-sided reflection is a new representation of the position of the reflected process in terms of the driving Lévy process.     

Optimal importance sampling for Lévy processes

We develop importance sampling estimators for Monte Carlo pricing of European and path-dependent options in models driven by Lévy processes. Using results from the theory of large deviations for processes with independent increments, we compute an explicit asymptotic approximation for the variance of the pay-off under a time-dependent Esscher-style change of measure. Minimizing this asymptotic variance using convex duality, we then obtain an importance sampling estimator of the option price. We show that our estimator is logarithmically optimal among all importance sampling estimators. Numerical tests in the variance gamma model show consistent variance reduction with a small computational overhead.     

Option pricing using multivariate Lévy processes

For d -dimensional Lévy models we provide a method for Finite Element-based asset pricing. We derive the partial integrodifferential pricing equation and prove that the corresponding variational problem is well-posed. Hereto, an explicit characterization of the domain of the bilinear form is given. For the numerical implementation the problem is discretized by sparse tensor product Finite Element spaces. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Harmonic analysis of additive Lévy processes

Let X ₁, . . . ,X _N denote N independent d-dimensional Lévy processes, and consider the N-parameter random field $$\mathfrak{X}(t) := X_1(t_1)+\cdots+ X_N(t_N).$$ First we demonstrate that for all nonrandom Borel sets ${F\subseteq{{\bf R}^d}}$ , the Minkowski sum ${\mathfrak{X}({{\bf R}^{N}_{+}})\oplus F}$ , of the range ${\mathfrak{X}({{\bf R}^{N}_{+}})}$ of ${\mathfrak{X}}$ with F, can have positive d-dimensional Lebesgue measure if and only if a certain capacity of F is positive. This improves our earlier joint effort with Yuquan Zhong by removing a certain condition of symmetry in Khoshnevisan et al. (Ann Probab 31(2):1097–1141, 2003). Moreover, we show that under mild regularity conditions, our necessary and sufficient condition can be recast in terms of one-potential densities. This rests on developing results in classical (non-probabilistic) harmonic analysis that might be of independent interest. As was shown in Khoshnevisan et al. (Ann Probab 31(2):1097–1141, 2003), the potential theory of the type studied here has a large number of consequences in the theory of Lévy processes. Presently, we highlight a few new consequences.     

The multifractal nature of Lévy processes

We show that the sample paths of most Lévy processes are multifractal functions and we determine their spectrum of singularities. Received: 21 February 1997 / Revised version: 27 July 1998     

Local properties of Lévy processes on a totally disconnected group

This paper is the first study of the sample path behavior of processes with stationary independent increments taking values in a nondiscrete, locally compact, metrizable, totally disconnected Abelian group. After some preparatory results of independent interest we give a general integral criterion for a deterministic function to be a local modulus of right-continuity for the paths of the process and then study the sets of fast and slow points where the local growth of the process is anomalously large or small. We establish the lim sup behavior for the sequence of first exit times from a collection of concentric balls for an arbitrary process and show that no deterministic function can act as an exact lower envelope. Under appropriate conditions similar results hold for the related sojourn time sequence. We consider various candidates for measuring the variation of the paths of the process, show that they exist and coincide in our situation, and then determine the common value for a general process. Using earlier results we calculate the Hausdorff and packing dimensions of the image of an interval, exhibit the correct Hausdorff measure for this set, and establish a dichotomy that classifies measure functions into those that lead to a zero packing measure for the image and those that lead to an infinite packing measure. Lastly, we prove some uniform dimension results, which bound the dimension of the image of a set in terms of the dimension of the set itself. These results hold almost surely for all sets simultaneously.     

Fluctuations of Omega-killed spectrally negative Lévy processes

In this paper we solve the exit problems for (reflected) spectrally negative Lévy processes, which are exponentially killed with a killing intensity dependent on the present state of the process and analyze respective resolvents. All identities are given in terms of new generalizations of scale functions. For the particular cases $\omega \left(x\right)=q$ and $\omega \left(x\right)=q{\mathbf{1}}_{(a,b)}\left(x\right)$, we obtain results for the classical exit problems and the Laplace transforms of the occupation times in a given interval, until first passage times, respectively. Our results can also be applied to find the bankruptcy probability in the so-called Omega model, where bankruptcy occurs at rate $\omega \left(x\right)$ when the Lévy surplus process is at level $x<0$. Finally, we apply these results to obtain some exit identities for spectrally positive self-similar Markov processes. The main method throughout all the proofs relies on the classical fluctuation identities for Lévy processes, the Markov property and some basic properties of a Poisson process.     

Timing portfolio strategies with exponential Lévy processes

Computational Management Science - This paper analyses the impact of parametric timing portfolio strategies on the U.S. stock market. In particular, we assume that the log-returns follow a given...     

Subexponential loss rate asymptotics for Lévy processes

We consider a Lévy process reflected in barriers at 0 and K > 0. The loss rate is the mean of the local time at K at time 1 when the process is started in stationarity, and is a natural continuous-time analogue of the stationary expected loss rate for a reflected random walk. We derive asymptotics for the loss rate when K tends to infinity, when the mean of the Lévy process is negative and the positive jumps are subexponential. In the course of this derivation, we achieve a formula, which is a generalization of the celebrated Pollaczeck-Khinchine formula.     

Optimal stopping of Markov switching Lévy processes

We consider a finite time horizon optimal stopping of a regime-switching Lévy process. We prove that the value function of the optimal stopping problem can be characterized as the unique viscosity solution of the associated Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman variational inequalities.     

Nonlinear stochastic integrals for hyperfinite Lévy processes

I develop a notion of nonlinear stochastic integrals for hyperfinite Lévy processes and use it to find exact formulas for expressions which are intuitively of the form and , where l is a Lévy process. These formulas are then applied to geometric Lévy processes, infinitesimal transformations of hyperfinite Lévy processes, and to minimal martingale measures. Some of the central concepts and results are closely related to those found in S. Cohen’s work on stochastic calculus for processes with jumps on manifolds, and the paper may be regarded as a reworking of his ideas in a different setting and with totally different techniques.     

Nonparametric estimation for irregularly sampled Lévy processes

We consider nonparametric statistical inference for Lévy processes sampled irregularly, at low frequency. The estimation of the jump dynamics as well as the estimation of the distributional density are investigated. Non-asymptotic risk bounds are derived and the corresponding rates of convergence are discussed under global as well as local regularity assumptions. Moreover, minimax optimality is proved for the estimator of the jump measure. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the practical performance of the estimation procedure.     

Measure preserving transformations of jump Lévy processes

Let x(t),t ? [ 0,1 ] \xi (t),t \in \left[ {0,1} \right] , be a jump Lévy process. By P_x {\mathcal{P}_\xi } we denote the law of in the Skorokhod space \mathbbD {\mathbb{D}} [0, 1]. Under some nondegeneracy condition on the Lévy measure Λ of the process, we construct a group of P_x {\mathcal{P}_\xi } -preserving transformations of the space \mathbbD {\mathbb{D}} [0, 1]. Bibliography: 10 titles.