Almost sure central limit theorems on the Wiener space

In this paper, we study almost sure central limit theorems for sequences of functionals of general Gaussian fields. We apply our result to non-linear functions of stationary Gaussian sequences. We obtain almost sure central limit theorems for these non-linear functions when they converge in law to a normal distribution.     

Central limit theorems for multiple stochastic integrals and Malliavin calculus

We give a new characterization for the convergence in distribution to a standard normal law of a sequence of multiple stochastic integrals of a fixed order with variance one, in terms of the Malliavin derivatives of the sequence. We also give a new proof of the main theorem in [D. Nualart, G. Peccati, Central limit theorems for sequences of multiple stochastic integrals, Ann. Probab. 33 (2005) 177–193] using techniques of Malliavin calculus. Finally, we extend our result to the multidimensional case and prove a weak convergence result for a sequence of square integrable random vectors, giving an application.     

Comparison inequalities on Wiener space

We define a covariance-type operator on Wiener space: for F$F$ and G$G$ two random variables in the Gross–Sobolev space D^1,2${\mathbb{D}}^{1,2}$ of random variables with a square-integrable Malliavin derivative, we let _ΓF,G?〈DF,−DL⁻¹G〉${\Gamma }_{F,G}?〈{DF,-DL}^{-1}G〉$, where D$D$ is the Malliavin derivative operator and L⁻¹$L^{-1}$ is the pseudo-inverse of the generator of the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck semigroup. We use Γ$\Gamma$ to extend the notion of covariance and canonical metric for vectors and random fields on Wiener space, and prove corresponding non-Gaussian comparison inequalities on Wiener space, which extend the Sudakov–Fernique result on comparison of expected suprema of Gaussian fields, and the Slepian inequality for functionals of Gaussian vectors. These results are proved using a so-called smart-path method on Wiener space, and are illustrated via various examples. We also illustrate the use of the same method by proving a Sherrington–Kirkpatrick universality result for spin systems in correlated and non-stationary non-Gaussian random media.     

On the Gaussian approximation of vector-valued multiple integrals

By combining the findings of two recent, seminal papers by Nualart, Peccati and Tudor, we get that the convergence in law of any sequence of vector-valued multiple integrals F_n towards a centered Gaussian random vector N, with given covariance matrix C, is reduced to just the convergence of: (i) the fourth cumulant of each component of F_n to zero; (ii) the covariance matrix of F_n to C. The aim of this paper is to understand more deeply this somewhat surprising phenomenon. To reach this goal, we offer two results of a different nature. The first one is an explicit bound for d(F,N) in terms of the fourth cumulants of the components of F, when F is a R^d-valued random vector whose components are multiple integrals of possibly different orders, N is the Gaussian counterpart of F (that is, a Gaussian centered vector sharing the same covariance with F) and d stands for the Wasserstein distance. The second one is a new expression for the cumulants of F as above, from which it is easy to derive yet another proof of the previously quoted result by Nualart, Peccati and Tudor.     

On quadratic functionals of the Brownian sheet and related processes

Motivated by asymptotic problems in the theory of empirical processes, and specifically by tests of independence, we study the law of quadratic functionals of the (weighted) Brownian sheet and of the bivariate Brownian bridge on [0,1]²$[0,1{]}^2$. In particular: (i) we use Fubini-type techniques to establish identities in law with quadratic functionals of other Gaussian processes, (ii) we explicitly calculate the Laplace transform of such functionals by means of Karhunen–Loève expansions, (iii) we prove central and non-central limit theorems in the spirit of Peccati and Yor [Four limit theorems involving quadratic functionals of Brownian motion and Brownian bridge, Asymptotic Methods in Stochastics, American Mathematical Society, Fields Institute Communication Series, 2004, pp. 75–87] and Nualart and Peccati [Central limit theorems for sequences of multiple stochastic integrals, Ann. Probab. 33(1) (2005) 177–193]. Our results extend some classical computations due to Lévy [Wiener's random function and other Laplacian random functions, in: Second Berkeley Symposium in Probability and Statistics, 1950, pp. 171–186], as well as the formulae recently obtained by Deheuvels and Martynov [Karhunen–Loève expansions for weighted Wiener processes and Brownian bridges via Bessel functions, Progress in Probability, vol. 55, Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, 2003, pp. 57–93].     

Functional limit theorems for generalized quadratic variations of Gaussian processes

In this paper, we establish functional convergence theorems for second order quadratic variations of Gaussian processes which admit a singularity function. First, we prove a functional almost sure convergence theorem, and a functional central limit theorem, for the process of second order quadratic variations, and we illustrate these results with the example of the fractional Brownian sheet (FBS). Second, we do the same study for the process of localized second order quadratic variations, and we apply the results to the multifractional Brownian motion (MBM).     

An Itô–Stratonovich formula for Gaussian processes: A Riemann sums approach

The aim of this paper is to establish a change of variable formula for general Gaussian processes whose covariance function satisfies some technical conditions. The stochastic integral is defined in the Stratonovich sense using an approximation by middle point Riemann sums. The change of variable formula is proved by means of a Taylor expansion up to the sixth order, and applying the techniques of Malliavin calculus to show the convergence to zero of the residual terms. The conditions on the covariance function are weak enough to include processes with infinite quadratic variation, and we show that they are satisfied by the bifractional Brownian motion with parameters (H,K)$(H,K)$ such that 1/6<HK<1$1/6<HK<1$, and, in particular, by the fractional Brownian motion with Hurst parameter H∈(1/6,1)$H\in (1/6,1)$.     

Ito's- and Tanaka's-type formulae for the stochastic heat equation: The linear case

In this paper, we consider the linear stochastic heat equation with additive noise in dimension one. Then, using the representation of its solution X as a stochastic convolution of the cylindrical Brownian motion with respect to an operator-valued kernel, we derive Itô's- and Tanaka's-type formulae associated to X.     

Uniform central limit theorems for kernel density estimators

Let be the classical kernel density estimator based on a kernel K and n independent random vectors X _i each distributed according to an absolutely continuous law on . It is shown that the processes , , converge in law in the Banach space , for many interesting classes of functions or sets, some -Donsker, some just -pregaussian. The conditions allow for the classical bandwidths h _n that simultaneously ensure optimal rates of convergence of the kernel density estimator in mean integrated squared error, thus showing that, subject to some natural conditions, kernel density estimators are ‘plug-in’ estimators in the sense of Bickel and Ritov (Ann Statist 31:1033–1053, 2003). Some new results on the uniform central limit theorem for smoothed empirical processes, needed in the proofs, are also included.      

Skorohod integration and stochastic calculus beyond the fractional Brownian scale

We extend the Skorohod integral, allowing integration with respect to Gaussian processes that can be more irregular than any fractional Brownian motion. This is done by restricting the class of test random variables used to define Skorohod integrability. A detailed analysis of the size of this class is given; it is proved to be non-empty even for Gaussian processes which are not continuous on any closed interval. Despite the extreme irregularity of these stochastic integrators, the Skorohod integral is shown to be uniquely defined, and to be useful: an Ito formula is established; it is employed to derive a Tanaka formula for a corresponding local time; linear additive and multiplicative stochastic differential equations are solved; an analysis of existence for the stochastic heat equation is given.     

Estimation for stochastic damping hamiltonian systems under partial observation—I. Invariant density

In this paper, we study the non-parametric estimation of the invariant density of some ergodic hamiltonian systems, using kernel estimators. The main result is a central limit theorem for such estimators under partial observation (only the positions are observed). The main tools are mixing estimates and refined covariance inequalities, the main difficulty being the strong degeneracy of such processes. This is the first paper of a series of at least two, devoted to the estimation of the characteristics of such processes: invariant density, drift term, volatility.     

Rate of escape and central limit theorem for the supercritical Lamperti problem

The study of discrete-time stochastic processes on the half-line with mean drift at x$x$ given by _μ1(x)→0${\mu }_1\left(x\right)\to 0$ as x→∞$x\to \infty$ is known as Lamperti’s problem  . We give sharp almost-sure bounds for processes of this type in the case where _μ1(x)${\mu }_1\left(x\right)$ is of order x^−β$x^{-\beta }$ for some β∈(0,1)$\beta \in (0,1)$. The bounds are of order t^1/(1+β)$t^{1/(1+\beta )}$, so the process is super-diffusive but sub-ballistic (has zero speed). We make minimal assumptions on the moments of the increments of the process (finiteness of (2+2β+ε)$(2+2\beta +\epsilon )$-moments for our main results, so fourth moments certainly suffice) and do not assume that the process is time-homogeneous or Markovian. In the case where x^β_μ1(x)$x^{\beta }{\mu }_1\left(x\right)$ has a finite positive limit, our results imply a strong law of large numbers, which strengthens and generalizes earlier results of Lamperti and Voit. We prove an accompanying central limit theorem, which appears to be new even in the case of a nearest-neighbour random walk, although our result is considerably more general. This answers a question of Lamperti. We also prove transience of the process under weaker conditions than those that we have previously seen in the literature. Most of our results also cover the case where β=0$\beta =0$. We illustrate our results with applications to birth-and-death chains and to multi-dimensional non-homogeneous random walks.     

Law of large numbers and central limit theorem for Donsker's delta function of diffusions I

Limit theorems in the space of Hida distributions, similar to the law of large numbers and the central limit theorem, are shown for composites of the Dirac distribution with solutions of one-dimensional, non-degenerate Itô equations.Supported by National Science Foundation under grant DMS-9001859.Supported by the Louisiana Education Quality Support Fund under grant (91–93) RD-A-08.Supported by the Council on Research of Louisiana State University.     

Limit theorems for hybridization reactions on oligonucleotide microarrays

We derive herein the limiting laws for certain stationary distributions of birth-and-death processes related to the classical model of chemical adsorption-desorption reactions due to Langmuir. The model has been recently considered in the context of a hybridization reaction on an oligonucleotide DNA-microarray. Our results imply that the truncated-gamma- and beta-type distributions can be used as approximations to the observed distributions of the fluorescence readings of the oligo-probes on a microarray. These findings might be useful in developing new model-based, probe-specific methods of extracting target concentrations from array fluorescence readings.     

Generalized Hermite processes,discrete chaos and limit theorems

We introduce a broad class of self-similar processes {Z(t),t≥0}$\{Z\left(t\right),t\ge 0\}$ called generalized Hermite processes. They have stationary increments, are defined on a Wiener chaos with Hurst index H∈(1/2,1)$H\in (1/2,1)$, and include Hermite processes as a special case. They are defined through a homogeneous kernel g$g$, called the “generalized Hermite kernel”, which replaces the product of power functions in the definition of Hermite processes. The generalized Hermite kernels g$g$ can also be used to generate long-range dependent stationary sequences forming a discrete chaos process {X(n)}$\left\{X\left(n\right)\right\}$. In addition, we consider a fractionally-filtered version Z^β(t)$Z^{\beta }\left(t\right)$ of Z(t)$Z\left(t\right)$, which allows H∈(0,1/2)$H\in (0,1/2)$. Corresponding non-central limit theorems are established. We also give a multivariate limit theorem which mixes central and non-central limit theorems.     

A new ideal metric with applications to multivariate stable limit theorems

Summary A new ideal metric of orderr>1 is introduced on ^k and a thorough analysis of its metric properties is given. In comparison to the known ideal metric of Zolotarev this new metric allows estimates from above by pseudo difference moments and thus allows applications to stable limit theorems. As applications we give the right order Berry-Esséen type result in the stable case, obtain the limiting behaviour of multivariate summability methods and discuss the approximation problem by compound Poisson distributions.Research supported by NATO GRANT CRG 900 798 and by a DFG Grant