First exit time probability for multidimensional diffusions: A PDE-based approach

First exit time distributions for multidimensional processes are key quantities in many areas of risk management and option pricing. The aim of this paper is to provide a flexible, fast and accurate algorithm for computing the probability of the first exit time from a bounded domain for multidimensional diffusions. First, we show that the probability distribution of this stopping time is the unique (weak) solution of a parabolic initial and boundary value problem. Then, we describe the algorithm which is based on a combination of the sparse tensor product finite element spaces and an hp-discontinuous Galerkin method. We illustrate our approach with several examples. We also compare the numerical results to classical Monte Carlo methods.     

The probabilistic structure of controlled diffusion processes

This paper surveys those aspects of controlled diffusion processes wherein the control problem is treated as an optimization problem on a set of probability measures on the path space. This includes: (i) existence results for optimal admissible or Markov controls (both in nondegenerate and degenerate cases), (ii) a probabilistic treatment of the dynamic programming principle, (iii) the corresponding results for control under partial observations, (iv) a probabilistic approach to the ergodic control problem. The paper is expository in nature and aims at giving a unified treatment of several old and new results that evolve around certain central ideas.     

Adaptive stochastic weak approximation of degenerate parabolic equations of Kolmogorov type

Degenerate parabolic equations of Kolmogorov type occur in many areas of analysis and applied mathematics. In their simplest form these equations were introduced by Kolmogorov in 1934 to describe the probability density of the positions and velocities of particles but the equations are also used as prototypes for evolution equations arising in the kinetic theory of gases. More recently equations of Kolmogorov type have also turned out to be relevant in option pricing in the setting of certain models for stochastic volatility and in the pricing of Asian options. The purpose of this paper is to numerically solve the Cauchy problem, for a general class of second order degenerate parabolic differential operators of Kolmogorov type with variable coefficients, using a posteriori error estimates and an algorithm for adaptive weak approximation of stochastic differential equations. Furthermore, we show how to apply these results in the context of mathematical finance and option pricing. The approach outlined in this paper circumvents many of the problems confronted by any deterministic approach based on, for example, a finite-difference discretization of the partial differential equation in itself. These problems are caused by the fact that the natural setting for degenerate parabolic differential operators of Kolmogorov type is that of a Lie group much more involved than the standard Euclidean Lie group of translations, the latter being relevant in the case of uniformly elliptic parabolic operators.     

Forward-backward stochastic differential equations and quasilinear parabolic PDEs

This paper studies, under some natural monotonicity conditions, the theory (existence and uniqueness, a priori estimate, continuous dependence on a parameter) of forward–backward stochastic differential equations and their connection with quasilinear parabolic partial differential equations. We use a purely probabilistic approach, and allow the forward equation to be degenerate. Received: 12 May 1997 / Revised version: 10 January 1999     

Multiple solutions of semilinear degenerate elliptic boundary value problems

The purpose of this paper is to study a class of semilinear elliptic boundary value problems with degenerate boundary conditions which include as particular cases the Dirichlet problem and the Robin problem. The approach here is based on the super‐sub‐solution method in the degenerate case, and is distinguished by the extensive use of an L^p Schauder theory elaborated for second‐order, elliptic differential operators with discontinuous zero‐th order term. By using Schauder's fixed point theorem, we prove that the existence of an ordered pair of sub‐ and supersolutions of our problem implies the existence of a solution of the problem. The results extend an earlier theorem due to Kazdan and Warner to the degenerate case. © 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim     

Application of the G class of functions in the parabolic class

In this paper,the application of the G class of functions in the parabolic class is considered. The regularity of the solution for the first boundary value problem of parabolic equation in divergence form is proved.     

Existence and regularity of multiple solutions for infinitely degenerate nonlinear elliptic equations with singular potential

In this paper, we study the Dirichlet problem for a class of infinitely degenerate nonlinear elliptic equations with singular potential term. By using the logarithmic Sobolev inequality and Hardy's inequality, the existence and regularity of multiple nontrivial solutions have been proved.     

An inverse problem of identifying the coefficient of first-order in a degenerate parabolic equation

This work studies an inverse problem of determining the first-order coefficient of degenerate parabolic equations using the measurement data specified at a fixed internal point. Being different from other ordinary parameter identification problems in parabolic equations, in our mathematical model there exists degeneracy on the lateral boundaries of the domain, which may cause the corresponding boundary conditions to go missing. By the contraction mapping principle, the uniqueness of the solution for the inverse problem is proved. A numerical algorithm on the basis of the predictor-corrector method is designed to obtain the numerical solution and some typical numerical experiments are also performed in the paper. The numerical results show that the proposed method is stable and the unknown function is recovered very well. The results obtained in the paper are interesting and useful, and can be extended to other more general inverse coefficient problems of degenerate PDEs.     

Asymptotic Behavior of Solutions of Inverse Problems for Degenerate Parabolic Equations

We obtain theorems on the proximity as t → +∞ between the solution of the inverse problem for a second-order degenerate parabolic equation with one spatial variable and the solution of the inverse problem for a second-order degenerate ordinary differential equation under an additional integral observation condition. The conditions imposed on the input data admit oscillations of the functions on the right-hand side in the parabolic equation under study.     

Exponential ergodicity and regularity for equations with Lévy noise

We prove exponential convergence to the invariant measure, in the total variation norm, for solutions of SDEs driven by α-stable noises in finite and in infinite dimensions. Two approaches are used. The first one is based on Liapunov’s function approach by Harris, and the second on Doeblin’s coupling argument in [8]. Irreducibility and uniform strong Feller property play an essential role in both approaches. We concentrate on two classes of Markov processes: solutions of finite dimensional equations, introduced in [27], with Hölder continuous drift and a general, non-degenerate, symmetric α-stable noise, and infinite dimensional parabolic systems, introduced in [29], with Lipschitz drift and cylindrical α-stable noise. We show that if the nonlinearity is bounded, then the processes are exponential mixing. This improves, in particular, an earlier result established in [28], with a different method.     

Regularization of outflow problems in unsaturated porous media with dry regions

We study a porous medium with saturated, unsaturated, and dry regions, described by Richards' equation for the saturation s and the pressure p. Due to a degenerate permeability coefficient k(x,s) and a degenerate capillary pressure function pc(x,s), the equations may be of elliptic, parabolic, or of ODE-type. We construct a parabolic regularization of the equations and find conditions that guarantee the convergence of the parabolic solutions to a solution of the degenerate system. An example shows that the convergence fails in general. Our approach provides an existence result for the outflow problem in the case of x-dependent coefficients and a method for a numerical approximation.     

Quasilinear parabolic and elliptic equations with nonlinear boundary conditions

This paper is concerned with a class of quasilinear parabolic and elliptic equations in a bounded domain with both Dirichlet and nonlinear Neumann boundary conditions. The equation under consideration may be degenerate or singular depending on the property of the diffusion coefficient. The consideration of the class of equations is motivated by some heat-transfer problems where the heat capacity and thermal conductivity are both temperature dependent. The aim of the paper is to show the existence and uniqueness of a global time-dependent solution of the parabolic problem, existence of maximal and minimal steady-state solutions of the elliptic problem, including conditions for the uniqueness of a solution, and the asymptotic behavior of the time-dependent solution in relation to the steady-state solutions. Applications are given to some heat-transfer problems and an extended logistic reaction–diffusion equation.     

Multiplicative asymptotics of solutions of the first boundary value problem on a half-axis for a parabolic equation with a small parameter

In this work we consider the first boundary value problem for a parabolic equation of second order with a small parameter on a half-axis (i.e., we consider the one-dimensional case). We take the zero initial condition. We construct the global (that is, the caustic points are taken into account) asymptotics of a solution for the boundary value problem. The asymptotic solution of this problem has a different structure depending on the sign of the coefficient (the drift coefficient) at the derivative of first order at a boundary point. The constructed asymptotic solutions are justified.     

Green and Poisson functions with Wentzell boundary conditions

We discuss the construction and estimates of the Green and Poisson functions associated with a parabolic second order integro-differential operator with Wentzell boundary conditions.     

Mean first passage times of two-dimensional processes with jumps

In this paper, we incorporate a jump component into the model based on a two-dimensional degenerate diffusion process for the remaining lifetime of machines in the recent paper [Lefebvre, M., 2010. Mean first-passage time to zero for wear processes. Stochastic Models 26, 46-53] by the second author. We calculate explicitly the expected value of first passage times associated to the two-dimensional process when the jump component is taken to be a compound Poisson process with exponential jumps and random proportion of jumps.     

Large time asymptotic problems for optimal stochastic control with superlinear cost

The paper is concerned with stochastic control problems of finite time horizon whose running cost function is of superlinear growth with respect to the control variable. We prove that, as the time horizon tends to infinity, the value function converges to a function of variable separation type which is characterized by an ergodic stochastic control problem. Asymptotic problems of this type arise in utility maximization problems in mathematical finance. From the PDE viewpoint, our results concern the large time behavior of solutions to semilinear parabolic equations with superlinear nonlinearity in gradients.     

Well-posedness of the martingale problem for some degenerate diffusion processes occurring in dynamics of populations

In this paper we establish the well-posedness in C([0,∞);[0,1]^d), for each starting point x∈[0,1]d, of the martingale problem associated with a class of degenerate elliptic operators which arise from the dynamics of populations as a generalization of the Fleming-Viot operator. In particular, we prove that such degenerate elliptic operators are closable in the space of continuous functions on [0,1]^d and their closure is the generator of a strongly continuous semigroup of contractions.     

Markov snakes and superprocesses

Summary We suggest the name Markov snakes for a class of path-valued Markov processes introduced recently by J.-F. Le Gall in connection with the theory of branching measure-valued processes. Le Gall applied this class to investigate path properties of superdiffusions and to approach probabilistically partial differential equations involving a nonlinear operator v–v ². We establish an isomorphism theorem which allows to translate results on continuous superprocesses into the language of Markov snakes and vice versa. By using this theorem, we get limit theorems for discrete Markov snakes.Partially supported by National Science Foundation Grant DMS-9301315 and by The US Army Research Office through the Mathematical Sciences Institute at Cornell University     

A new approach to stochastic evolution equations with adapted drift

In this paper we develop a new approach to stochastic evolution equations with an unbounded drift A which is dependent on time and the underlying probability space in an adapted way. It is well-known that the semigroup approach to equations with random drift leads to adaptedness problems for the stochastic convolution term. In this paper we give a new representation formula for the stochastic convolution which avoids integration of non-adapted processes. Here we mainly consider the parabolic setting. We establish connections with other solution concepts such as weak solutions. The usual parabolic regularity properties are derived and we show that the new approach can be applied in the study of semilinear problems with random drift. At the end of the paper the results are illustrated with two examples of stochastic heat equations with random drift.