Winding numbers for 2-dimensional,positive recurrent diffusions

A well-known theorem by Spitzer states that the winding number of a standard Brownian motion around the origin is asymptotically Cauchy-distributed. A similar result is derived for positive recurrent diffusions in the plane given by a non-degenerate stochastic equation.     

Skorokhod embeddings, minimality and non-centred target distributions

In this paper we consider the Skorokhod embedding problem for target distributions with non-zero mean. In the zero-mean case, uniform integrability provides a natural restriction on the class of embeddings, but this is no longer suitable when the target distribution is not centred. Instead we restrict our class of stopping times to those which are minimal, and we find conditions on the stopping times which are equivalent to minimality. We then apply these results, firstly to the problem of embedding non-centred target distributions in Brownian motion, and secondly to embedding general target laws in a diffusion. We construct an embedding (which reduces to the Azema-Yor embedding in the zero-target mean case) which maximises the law of sup_s≤TB_s among the class of minimal embeddings of a general target distribution μ in Brownian motion. We then construct a minimal embedding of μ in a diffusion X which maximises the law of sup_s≤Th(X_s) for a general function h.     

The set-indexed Lévy process: Stationarity,Markov and sample paths properties

We present a satisfactory definition of the important class of Lévy processes indexed by a general collection of sets. We use a new definition for increment stationarity of set-indexed processes to obtain different characterizations of this class. As an example, the set-indexed compound Poisson process is introduced. The set-indexed Lévy process is characterized by infinitely divisible laws and a Lévy–Khintchine representation. Moreover, the following concepts are discussed: projections on flows, Markov properties, and pointwise continuity. Finally the study of sample paths leads to a Lévy–Itô decomposition. As a corollary, the semi-martingale property is proved.     

Coupling and convergence of random elements,processes, and regenerative processes

The paper starts by proving that a sequence of random elements can be coupled in such a way that the random elements eventually coincide if and only if liminf of their densities is a density. It continues with a survey of some general coupling theory for stochastic processes and applications to wide sense regenerative processes and Palm theory. Finally, a successful coupling and -coupling of wide sense regenerative processes is constructed without assuming that the inter-regeneration times have finite mean.     

Median,concentration and fluctuations for Lévy processes

We estimate a median of f(_Xt)$f\left(X_t\right)$ where f$f$ is a Lipschitz function, X$X$ is a Lévy process and t$t$ is an arbitrary time. This leads to concentration inequalities for f(_Xt)$f\left(X_t\right)$. In turn, corresponding fluctuation estimates are obtained under assumptions typically satisfied if the process has a regular behavior in small time and a, possibly different, regular behavior in large time.     

Poisson point processes,excursions and stable processes in two-dimensional structures

Itô’s contributions lie at the root of stochastic calculus and of the theory of excursions. These ideas are also very useful in the study of conformally invariant two-dimensional structures, via conformal loop ensembles, excursions of Schramm–Loewner evolutions and Poisson point processes of Brownian loops.     

Explosion,implosion, and moments of passage times for continuous-time Markov chains: A semimartingale approach

We establish general theorems quantifying the notion of recurrence–through an estimation of the moments of passage times–for irreducible continuous-time Markov chains on countably infinite state spaces. Sharp conditions of occurrence of the phenomenon of explosion are also obtained. A new phenomenon of implosion is introduced and sharp conditions for its occurrence are proven. The general results are illustrated by treating models having a difficult behaviour even in discrete time.     

Forward,backward and symmetric stochastic integration

Summary We define three types of non causal stochastic integrals: forward, backward and symmetric. Our approach consists in approximating the integrator. Two optics are considered: the first one is based on traditional usual stochastic calculus and the second one on Wiener distributions.     

FBSDEs with time delayed generators: L-solutions, differentiability, representation formulas and path regularity

We extend the work of Delong and Imkeller (2010) [6] and [7] concerning backward stochastic differential equations with time delayed generators (delay BSDEs). We give moment and a priori estimates in general L^p-spaces and provide sufficient conditions for the solution of a delay BSDE to exist in L^p. We introduce decoupled systems of SDEs and delay BSDEs (delay FBSDEs) and give sufficient conditions for their variational differentiability. We connect these variational derivatives to the Malliavin derivatives of delay FBSDEs via the usual representation formulas. We conclude with several path regularity results, in particular we extend the classic L²-path regularity to delay FBSDEs.     

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.     

Compound Poisson approximation for unbounded functions on a group,with application to large deviations

Summary A second order error bound is obtained for approximating h d by h d , where is a convolution of measures andQ a compound Poisson measure on a measurable abelian group, and the functionh is not necessarily bounded. This error bound is more refined than the usual total variation bound in the sense that it contains the functionh. The method used is inspired by Stein's method and hinges on bounding Radon-Nikodym derivatives related to . The approximation theorem is then applied to obtain a large deviation result on groups, which in turn is applied to multivariate Poisson approximation.Research of the second author was supported by Schweizerischer Nationalfonds     

Finite approximation schemes for Lévy processes,and their application to optimal stopping problems

This paper proposes two related approximation schemes, based on a discrete grid on a finite time interval [0,T]$[0,T]$, and having a finite number of states, for a pure jump Lévy process _Lt$L_t$. The sequences of discrete processes converge to the original process, as the time interval becomes finer and the number of states grows larger, in various modes of weak and strong convergence, according to the way they are constructed. An important feature is that the filtrations generated at each stage by the approximations are sub-filtrations of the filtration generated by the continuous time Lévy process. This property is useful for applications of these results, especially to optimal stopping problems, as we illustrate with an application to American option pricing. The rates of convergence of the discrete approximations to the underlying continuous time process are assessed in terms of a “complexity” measure for the option pricing algorithm.     

Interpolation, correlation identities, and inequalities for infinitely divisible variables

We present an interpolation formula for the expectation of functions of infinitely divisible (i.d.) variables. This is then applied to study the association problem for i.d. vectors and to present new covariance expansions and correlation inequalities. Acknowledgements and Notes. The research of C. Houdré was supported in part by an NSF Mathematical Sciences Post-Doctoral Fellowship and by an NSF-NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship and by the NSF grant No. DMS-98032039. This research was completed while V. Pérez-Abreu was visiting the Georgia Institute of Technology.     

Diffusion processes on graphs: stochastic differential equations,large deviation principle

Ito's rule is established for the diffusion processes on the graphs. We also consider a family of diffusions processes with small noise on a graph. Large deviation principle is proved for these diffusion processes and their local times at the vertices. Received: 12 February 1997 / Revised version: 3 March 1999     

Moments, moderate and large deviations for a branching process in a random environment

Let (Z_n) be a supercritical branching process in a random environment ξ, and W be the limit of the normalized population size Z_n/E[Z_n|ξ]. We show large and moderate deviation principles for the sequence logZ_n (with appropriate normalization). For the proof, we calculate the critical value for the existence of harmonic moments of W, and show an equivalence for all the moments of Z_n. Central limit theorems on W−W_n and logZ_n are also established.     

Stochastic wave equation of pure jumps: Existence,uniqueness and invariant measures

In this paper, we investigate a class of nonlinear damped stochastic hyperbolic equations with jumps. The jump component considered here is described as a Poisson point process. This paper is divided into two parts. The first part deals with existence and uniqueness of global weak and strong solutions to this type of equations, based on the energy approach. The second part devotes to the existence and support of invariant measures corresponding to the weak solution semi-group, based on Markov property of the solution.