Asymptotic separation for independent trajectories of Markov processes

We say that n independent trajectories ξ₁(t),…,ξ _n (t) of a stochastic process ξ(t)on a metric space are asymptotically separated if, for some ɛ > 0, the distance between ξ _i (t _i ) and ξ _j (t _j ) is at least ɛ, for some indices i, j and for all large enough t ₁,…,t _n , with probability 1. We prove sufficient conitions for asymptotic separationin terms of the Green function and the transition function, for a wide class of Markov processes. In particular,if ξ is the diffusion on a Riemannian manifold generated by the Laplace operator Δ, and the heat kernel p(t, x, y) satisfies the inequality p(t, x, x) ≤ Ct ^−ν/2 then n trajectories of ξ are asymptotically separated provided . Moreover, if for some α∈(0, 2)then n trajectories of ξ^(α) are asymptotically separated, where ξ^(α) is the α-process generated by −(−Δ)^α/2. Received: 10 June 1999 / Revised version: 20 April 2000 / Published online: 14 December 2000 RID="*" ID="*" Supported by the EPSRC Research Fellowship B/94/AF/1782 RID="**" ID="**" Partially supported by the EPSRC Visiting Fellowship GR/M61573     

Some properties of the range of super-Brownian motion

We consider a super-Brownian motion X. Its canonical measures can be studied through the path-valued process called the Brownian snake. We obtain the limiting behavior of the volume of the ɛ-neighborhood for the range of the Brownian snake, and as a consequence we derive the analogous result for the range of super-Brownian motion and for the support of the integrated super-Brownian excursion. Then we prove the support of X _t is capacity-equivalent to [0, 1]² in ℝ^d, d≥ 3, and the range of X, as well as the support of the integrated super-Brownian excursion are capacity-equivalent to [0, 1]⁴ in ℝ^d, d≥ 5. Received: 7 April 1998 / Revised version: 2 October 1998     

Growth and Hölder conditions for the sample paths of Feller processes

Let (A,D(A)) be the infinitesimal generator of a Feller semigroup such that C _c ^∞(ℝ ⁿ )⊂D(A) and A|C _c ^∞(ℝ ⁿ ) is a pseudo-differential operator with symbol −p(x,ξ) satisfying |p(•,ξ)|_∞≤c(1+|ξ|²) and |Imp(x,ξ)|≤c ₀Rep(x,ξ). We show that the associated Feller process {X _t } _{t ≥0} on ℝ ⁿ is a semimartingale, even a homogeneous diffusion with jumps (in the sense of [21]), and characterize the limiting behaviour of its trajectories as t→0 and ∞. To this end, we introduce various indices, e.g., β_∞ ^x :={λ>0:lim _{|ξ|→∞ | x − y |≤2/|ξ|}|p(y,ξ)|/|ξ|^λ=0} or δ_∞ ^x :={λ>0:liminf _{|ξ|→∞ | x − y |≤2/|ξ| |ε|≤1}|p(y,|ξ|ε)|/|ξ|^λ=0}, and obtain a.s. (ℙ ^x ) that lim _{t →0} t ^−1/λ _{s ≤ t} |X _s −x|=0 or ∞ according to λ>β_∞ ^x or λ<δ_∞ ^x . Similar statements hold for the limit inferior and superior, and also for t→∞. Our results extend the constant-coefficient (i.e., Lévy) case considered by W. Pruitt [27]. Received: 21 July 1997 / Revised version: 26 January 1998     

A large-deviation result for the range of random walk and for the Wiener sausage

Let {S _n } be a random walk on ℤ ^d and let R _n be the number of different points among 0, S ₁,…, S _{n −1}. We prove here that if d≥ 2, then ψ(x) := lim _{n →∞}(−:1/n) logP{R _n ≥nx} exists for x≥ 0 and establish some convexity and monotonicity properties of ψ(x). The one-dimensional case will be treated in a separate paper. We also prove a similar result for the Wiener sausage (with drift). Let B(t) be a d-dimensional Brownian motion with constant drift, and for a bounded set A⊂ℝ ^d let Λ _t = Λ _t (A) be the d-dimensional Lebesgue measure of the `sausage' ∪_{0≤ s ≤ t} (B(s) + A). Then φ(x) := lim _t→∞: (−1/t) log P{Λ _t ≥tx exists for x≥ 0 and has similar properties as ψ. Received: 20 April 2000 / Revised version: 1 September 2000 / Published online: 26 April 2001     

Hölder continuity for spatial and path processes via spectral analysis

For ν(dθ), a σ-finite Borel measure on R ^d , we consider L ²(ν(dθ))-valued stochastic processes Y(t) with te property that Y(t)=y(t,·) where y(t,θ)=∫ ^t ₀ e ^{−λ(θ)( t − s )} dm(s,θ) and m(t,θ) is a continuous martingale with quadratic variation [m](t)=∫ ^t ₀ g(s,θ)ds. We prove timewise H?lder continuity and maximal inequalities for Y and use these results to obtain Hilbert space regularity for a class of superrocesses as well as a class of stochastic evolutions of the form dX=AXdt+GdW with W a cylindrical Brownian motion. Maximal inequalities and H?lder continuity results are also provenfor the path process _t (τ)≗Y(τt∧t). Received: 25 June 1999 / Revised version: 28 August 2000 /?Published online: 9 March 2001     

Capture time of Brownian pursuits

Let B ₀,B ₁, ⋯ ,B _n be independent standard Brownian motions, starting at 0. We investigate the tail of the capture time

The maximum maximum of a martingale constrained by an intermediate law

Let (M _t ) be any martingale with M ₀≡ 0, an intermediate law M ₁∼μ₁, and terminal law M ₂∼μ₂, and let Mˉ ₂≡ sup_{0≤ t ≤2} M _t . In this paper we prove that there exists an upper bound, with respect to stochastic ordering of probability measures, on the law of Mˉ ₂. We construct, using excursion theory, a martingale which attains this maximum. Finally we apply this result to the robust hedging of a lookback option. Received: 26 December 1998 / Revised version: 20 April 2000 /?Published online: 15 February 2001     

On a Sharper Lower Bound for a Percentile of a Student’s <Emphasis Type="Italic">t</Emphasis> Distribution with an Application

In this communication, we first compare z _α and t _ν,α , the upper 100α% points of a standard normal and a Student’s t _ν distributions respectively. We begin with a proof of a well-known result, namely, for every fixed 0 < a < \frac120<\alpha <\frac{1}{2} and the degree of freedom ν, one has t _ν,α  > z _α . Next, Theorem 3.1 provides a new and explicit expression b _ν ( > 1) such that for every fixed 0 < a < \frac120<\alpha < \frac{1}{2} and ν, we can conclude t _ν,α  > b _ν z _α . This is clearly a significant improvement over the result that is customarily quoted in nearly every textbook and elsewhere. A proof of Theorem 3.1 is surprisingly simple and pretty. We also extend Theorem 3.1 in the case of a non-central Student’s t distribution (Section 3.3). In the context of Stein’s (Ann Math Stat 16:243–258, 1945; Econometrica 17:77–78, 1949) 100(1 − α)% fixed-width confidence intervals for the mean of a normal distribution having an unknown variance, we have examined the oversampling rate on an average for a variety of choices of m, the pilot sample size. We ran simulations to investigate this issue. We have found that the oversampling rates are approximated well by t_n,a/2²z_a/2^-2t_{\nu ,\alpha /2}^{2}z_{\alpha /2}^{-2} for small and moderate values of m( ≤ 50) all across Table 2 where ν = m − 1. However, when m is chosen large (≥ 100), we find from Table 3 that the oversampling rates are not approximated by t_n,a/2²z_a/2^-2t_{\nu ,\alpha /2}^{2}z_{\alpha /2}^{-2} very well anymore in some cases, and in those cases the oversampling rates either exceed the new lower bound of t_n,a/2²z_a/2^-2,t_{\nu ,\alpha /2}^{2}z_{\alpha /2}^{-2}, namely b_n²,b_{\nu }^{2}, or comes incredibly close to b_n²b_{\nu }^{2} where ν = m − 1. That is, the new lower bound for a percentile of a Student’s t distribution may play an important role in order to come up with diagnostics in our understanding of simulated output under Stein’s fixed-width confidence interval method.     

Smoothing properties of transition semigroups relative to SDEs with values in Banach spaces

In the present paper we consider the transition semigroup P _t related to some stochastic reaction-diffusion equations with the nonlinear term f having polynomial growth and satisfying some dissipativity conditions. We are proving that it has a regularizing effect in the Banach space of continuous functions , where ⊂ℝ ^d is a bounded open set. In L ²() the only result proved is the strong Feller property, for d=1. Here we are able to prove that if f∈C ^∞(ℝ) and d≤3, then for any and t>0. An important application is to the study of the ergodic properties of the system. These results are also of interest for some problem in stochastic control. Received: 20 August 1997 / Revised version: 27 May 1998     

Increment sizes of the principal value of Brownian local time

Let W be a standard Brownian motion, and define Y(t)= ∫₀ ^t ds/W(s) as Cauchy's principal value related to local time. We determine: (a) the modulus of continuity of Y in the sense of P. Lévy; (b) the large increments of Y. Received: 1 April 1999 / Revised version: 27 September 1999 / Published online: 14 June 2000     

Relative entropy and mixing properties of infinite dimensional diffusions

Summary. Let η be a diffusion process taking values on the infinite dimensional space T ^Z , where T is the circle, and with components satisfying the equations dη _i =σ _i (η) dW _i +b _i (η) dt for some coefficients σ _i and b _i , i∈Z. Suppose we have an initial distribution μ and a sequence of times t _n →∞ such that lim _{n →∞}μS _tn =ν exists, where S _t is the semi-group of the process. We prove that if σ _i and b _i are bounded, of finite range, have uniformly bounded second order partial derivatives, and inf _{i ,η}σ _i (η)>0, then ν is invariant. Received: 12 September 1996 / In revised form: 10 November 1997     

Laplace approximations for sums of independent random vectors

Let X _i , i∈N, be i.i.d. B-valued random variables, where B is a real separable Banach space. Let Φ be a mapping B→R. Under a central limit theorem assumption, an asymptotic evaluation of Z _n = E (exp (n Φ (∑ _{i =1} ⁿ X _i /n))), up to a factor (1 + o(1)), has been gotten in Bolthausen [1]. In this paper, we show that the same asymptotic evaluation can be gotten without the central limit theorem assumption. Received: 19 September 1997 / Revised version:22 April 1999     

A fragmentation process connected to Brownian motion

Let (B _s , s≥ 0) be a standard Brownian motion and T ₁ its first passage time at level 1. For every t≥ 0, we consider ladder time set ℒ ^(t) of the Brownian motion with drift t, B ^(t) _s = B _s + ts, and the decreasing sequence F(t) = (F ₁(t), F ₂(t), …) of lengths of the intervals of the random partition of [0, T ₁] induced by ℒ ^(t) . The main result of this work is that (F(t), t≥ 0) is a fragmentation process, in the sense that for 0 ≤t < t′, F(t′) is obtained from F(t) by breaking randomly into pieces each component of F(t) according to a law that only depends on the length of this component, and independently of the others. We identify the fragmentation law with the one that appears in the construction of the standard additive coalescent by Aldous and Pitman [3]. Received: 19 February 1999 / Revised version: 17 September 1999 /?Published online: 31 May 2000     

A family of diffusion processes on Sierpinski carpets

We construct a family of diffusions P ^α = {P ^x} on the d-dimensional Sierpinski carpet F^. The parameter α ranges over d _H < α < ∞, where d _H = log(3 ^d − 1)/log 3 is the Hausdorff dimension of the d-dimensional Sierpinski carpet F^. These diffusions P ^α are reversible with invariant measures μ = μ^[α]. Here, μ are Radon measures whose topological supports are equal to F^ and satisfy self-similarity in the sense that μ(3A) = 3^α·μ(A) for all A∈ℬ(F^). In addition, the diffusion is self-similar and invariant under local weak translations (cell translations) of the Sierpinski carpet. The transition density p = p(t, x, y) is locally uniformly positive and satisfies a global Gaussian upper bound. In spite of these well-behaved properties, the diffusions are different from Barlow-Bass' Brownian motions on the Sierpinski carpet. Received: 30 September 1999 / Revised version: 15 June 2000 / Published online: 24 January 2000     

Asymptotic behaviour of disconnection and non-intersection exponents

Summary. We study the asymptotic behaviour of disconnection and non-intersection exponents for planar Brownian motionwhen the number of considered paths tends to infinity. In particular, if η _n (respectively ξ (n, p)) denotes the disconnection exponent for n paths (respectively the non-intersection exponent for n paths versus p paths), then we show that lim _{n →∞} η _n /n = 1 2 and that for a > 0 and b > 0,lim _{n →∞} ξ ([na],[nb])/n = (√ a + √ b) ² /2. Received: 28 February 1996 / In revised form: 3 September 1996     

Wiener’s test for super-Brownian motion and the Brownian snake

We prove a Wiener-type criterion for super-Brownian motion and the Brownian snake.If F is a Borel subset of ℝ ^d and x ∈ ℝ ^d , we provide a necessary and sufficientcondition for super-Brownian motion started at δ _x to immediately hit the set F. Equivalently, this condition is necessary and sufficient for the hitting time of F by theBrownian snake with initial point x to be 0. A key ingredient of the proof isan estimate showing that the hitting probability of F is comparable, up to multiplicative constants,to the relevant capacity of F. This estimate, which is of independent interest, refines previous results due to Perkins and Dynkin. An important role is played by additivefunctionals of the Brownian snake, which are investigated here via the potentialtheory of symmetric Markov processes. As a direct application of our probabilisticresults, we obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence in a domain D of a positivesolution of the equation Δ; u = u ² which explodes at a given point of ∂ D. Received: 5 January 1996 / In revised form: 30 October 1996     

On the First Hitting Time of a One-dimensional Diffusion and a Compound Poisson Process

It is studied the first-passage time (FPT) of a time homogeneous one-dimensional diffusion, driven by the stochastic differential equation dX(t) = μ(X(t))dt + σ(X(t)) dB _t , X(0) = x ₀, through b + Y(t), where b > x ₀ and Y(t) is a compound Poisson process with rate λ > 0 starting at 0, which is independent of the Brownian motion B _t . In particular, the FPT density is investigated, generalizing a previous result, already known in the case when X(t) = μt + B _t , for which the FPT density is the solution of a certain integral equation. A numerical method is shown to calculate approximately the FPT density; some examples and numerical results are also reported.     

On the equivalence of measures on loop space

Let K be a simply-connected compact Lie Group equipped with an Ad _K -invariant inner product on the Lie Algebra ?, of K. Given this data, there is a well known left invariant “H ¹-Riemannian structure” on L(K) (the infinite dimensional group of continuous based loops in K), as well as a heat kernel ν_T(k ₀, ·) associated with the Laplace-Beltrami operator on L(K). Here T > 0, k ₀∈L(K), and ν _T (k ₀, ·) is a certain probability measure on L(K). In this paper we show that ν₁(e,·) is equivalent to Pinned Wiener Measure on K on ? _s0 ≡<x _t : t∈ [0, s ₀]> (the σ-algebra generated by truncated loops up to “time”s ₀). Recevied: 9 September 1999 / Revised version: 13 March 2000 / Published online: 22 November 2000     

The nearness problems for symmetric centrosymmetric with a special submatrix constraint

We say that X=[x_ij]_i,j=1ⁿX=[x_{ij}]_{i,j=1}^n is symmetric centrosymmetric if x _ij  = x _ji and x _{n − j + 1,n − i + 1}, 1 ≤ i,j ≤ n. In this paper we present an efficient algorithm for minimizing ||AXA ^T  − B|| where ||·|| is the Frobenius norm, A ∈ ℝ ^m×n , B ∈ ℝ ^m×m and X ∈ ℝ ^n×n is symmetric centrosymmetric with a specified central submatrix [x _ij ] _{p ≤ i,j ≤ n − p} . Our algorithm produces a suitable X such that AXA ^T  = B in finitely many steps, if such an X exists. We show that the algorithm is stable any case, and we give results of numerical experiments that support this claim.     

Best mean square approximations by entire functions of finite degree on a straight line and exact values of mean widths of functional classes

We obtain exact Jackson-type inequalities in the case of the best mean square approximation by entire functions of finite degree ≤ σ on a straight line. For classes of functions defined via majorants of averaged smoothness characteristics Ω₁(f, t ), t > 0, we determine the exact values of the Kolmogorov mean ν-width, linear mean ν-width, and Bernstein mean ν-width, ν > 0.