Stochastic comparisons in multivariate mixed model of proportional reversed hazard rate with applications

This paper studies the multivariate mixed proportional reversed hazard rate model having dependent mixing variables. Stochastic comparison as well as aging properties in this model are investigated, and stochastic monotone properties of the population vector with respect to the mixing vector are also discussed. Moreover, MTP₂ dependence among the mixing vectors is proved to imply the increasingness of the reversed hazard rate with respect to the baseline one. Finally, some interesting applications are presented as well.     

Some positive dependence stochastic orders

In this paper we study some stochastic orders of positive dependence that arise when the underlying random vectors are ordered with respect to some multivariate hazard rate stochastic orders, and have the same univariate marginal distributions. We show how the orders can be studied by restricting them to copulae, we give a number of examples, and we study some positive dependence concepts that arise from the new positive dependence orders. We also discuss the relationship of the new orders to other positive dependence orders that have appeared in the literature.     

Conditional limiting distribution of Type III elliptical random vectors

In this paper we consider elliptical random vectors in R^d,d≥2 with stochastic representation RAU where R is a positive random radius independent of the random vector U which is uniformly distributed on the unit sphere of R^d and A∈R^d×d is a non-singular matrix. When R has distribution function in the Weibull max-domain of attraction we say that the corresponding elliptical random vector is of Type III. For the bivariate set-up, Berman [Sojurns and Extremes of Stochastic Processes, Wadsworth & Brooks/ Cole, 1992] obtained for Type III elliptical random vectors an interesting asymptotic approximation by conditioning on one component. In this paper we extend Berman's result to Type III elliptical random vectors in R^d. Further, we derive an asymptotic approximation for the conditional distribution of such random vectors.     

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.     

Bounds for functions of multivariate risks

Li et al. [Distributions with Fixed Marginals and Related Topics, vol. 28, Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, Hayward, CA, 1996, pp. 198-212] provide bounds on the distribution and on the tail for functions of dependent random vectors having fixed multivariate marginals. In this paper, we correct a result stated in the above article and we give improved bounds in the case of the sum of identically distributed random vectors. Moreover, we provide the dependence structures meeting the bounds when the fixed marginals are uniformly distributed on the k-dimensional hypercube. Finally, a definition of a multivariate risk measure is given along with actuarial/financial applications.     

Conditional orderings and positive dependence

Every univariate random variable is smaller, with respect to the ordinary stochastic order and with respect to the hazard rate order, than a right censored version of it. In this paper we attempt to generalize these facts to the multivariate setting. It turns out that in general such comparisons do not hold in the multivariate case, but they do under some assumptions of positive dependence. First we obtain results that compare the underlying random vectors with respect to the usual multivariate stochastic order. A larger slew of results, that yield comparisons of the underlying random vectors with respect to various multivariate hazard rate orders, is given next. Some comparisons with respect to the orthant orders are also discussed.     

On the transitivity of the comonotonic and countermonotonic comparison of random variables

A recently proposed method for the pairwise comparison of arbitrary independent random variables results in a probabilistic relation. When restricted to discrete random variables uniformly distributed on finite multisets of numbers, this probabilistic relation expresses the winning probabilities between pairs of hypothetical dice that carry these numbers and exhibits a particular type of transitivity called dice-transitivity. In case these multisets have equal cardinality, two alternative methods for statistically comparing the ordered lists of the numbers on the faces of the dice have been studied recently: the comonotonic method based upon the comparison of the numbers of the same rank when the lists are in increasing order, and the countermonotonic method, also based upon the comparison of only numbers of the same rank but with the lists in opposite order. In terms of the discrete random variables associated to these lists, these methods each turn out to be related to a particular copula that joins the marginal cumulative distribution functions into a bivariate cumulative distribution function. The transitivity of the generated probabilistic relation has been completely characterized. In this paper, the list comparison methods are generalized for the purpose of comparing arbitrary random variables. The transitivity properties derived in the case of discrete uniform random variables are shown to be generic. Additionally, it is shown that for a collection of normal random variables, both comparison methods lead to a probabilistic relation that is at least moderately stochastic transitive.     

Some new results on convolutions of heterogeneous gamma random variables

Convolutions of independent random variables often arise in a natural way in many applied areas. In this paper, we study various stochastic orderings of convolutions of heterogeneous gamma random variables in terms of the majorization order [p-larger order, reciprocal majorization order] of parameter vectors and the likelihood ratio order [dispersive order, hazard rate order, star order, right spread order, mean residual life order] between convolutions of two heterogeneous gamma sets of variables wherein they have both differing scale parameters and differing shape parameters. The results established in this paper strengthen and generalize those known in the literature.     

The Burgers equation with a random force and a general model for directed polymers in random environments

Summary. The study of the Burgers equation with a random force leads via a Hopf-Cole type transformation to a stochastic heat equation having a white noise with spatial parameters type potential. The latter can be studied by means of a general model of directed polymers in random environments with two point random potentials. These models exhibit a Gaussian behavior at large times and have certain stationary distributions which yield the corresponding results for the above stochastic heat and Burgers equations. Received: 18 July 1995 / In revised form: 5 August 1995     

Local times for stochastic processes which are subordinate to Gaussian processes

Let X and Y be random vectors of the same dimension such that Y has a normal distribution with mean vector O and covariance matrix R. Let g(x), x≥0, be a bounded nonincreasing function. X is said to be g-subordinate to Y if |Ee^iu′X| ≤ g(u′Ru) for all real vectors u of the same dimension as X. This is used to define the g-subordination of a real stochastic process X(t), 0 ≤ t ≤ 1, to a Gaussian process Y(t), 0 ≤ t ≤ 1. It is shown that the basic local time properties of a given Gaussian process are shared by all the processes that age g-subordinate to it. It is shown in particular that certain random series, including some random Fourier series, are g-subordinate to Gaussian processes, and so have their local time properties.     

Random variables as pathwise integrals with respect to fractional Brownian motion

We give both necessary and sufficient conditions for a random variable to be represented as a pathwise stochastic integral with respect to fractional Brownian motion with an adapted integrand. We also show that any random variable is a value of such integral in an improper sense and that such integral can have any prescribed distribution. We discuss some applications of these results, in particular, to fractional Black–Scholes model of financial market.     

A note on rates of convergence in the multidimensional CLT for maximum partial sums

In this note we obtain rates of convergence in the central limit theorem for certain maximum of coordinate partial sums of independent identically distributed random vectors having positive mean vector and a nonsingular correlation matrix. The results obtained are in terms of rates of convergence in the multidimensional central limit theorem. Thus under the conditions of Sazonov (1968, Sankhya, Series A30 181–204, Theorem 2), we have the same rate of convergence for the vector of coordinate maximums. Other conditions for the multidimensional CLT are also discussed, c.f., Bhattachaya (1977, Ann. Probability 5 1–27). As an application of one of the results we obtain a multivariate extension of a theorem of Rogozin (1966, Theor. Probability Appl. 11 438–441).     

The role of coefficients of a general SPDE on the stability and convergence of a finite difference method

In this paper for the approximate solution of stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) of Itô-type, the stability and application of a class of finite difference method with regard to the coefficients in the equations is analyzed. The finite difference methods discussed here will be either explicit or implicit and a comparison between them will be reported. We prove the consistency and stability of these methods and investigate the influence of the multiplier (particularly multiplier of the random noise) in mean square stability. From stochastic version of Lax-Richtmyer the convergence of these methods under some conditions are established. Numerical experiments are included to show the efficiency of the methods.     

A local strict comparison theorem and converse comparison theorems for reflected backward stochastic differential equations

A local strict comparison theorem and some converse comparison theorems are proved for reflected backward stochastic differential equations under suitable conditions.     

Unbiased estimates for gradients of stochastic network performance measures

Three classes of stochastic networks and their performance measures are considered. These performance measures are defined as the expected value of some random variables and cannot normally be obtained analytically as functions of network parameters in a closed form. We give similar representations for the random variables to provide a useful way of analytical study of these functions and their gradients. The representations are used to obtain sufficient conditions for the gradient estimates to be unbiased. The conditions are rather general and usually met in simulation study of the stochastic networks. Applications of the results are discussed and some practical algorithms of calculating unbiased estimates of the gradients are also presented.     

Slepian’s inequality with respect to majorization

In this paper, we obtain some sufficient conditions for Slepian’s inequality with respect to majorization for two Gaussian random vectors.     

Effect of truncation on large deviations for heavy-tailed random vectors

This paper studies the effect of truncation on the large deviations behavior of the partial sum of a triangular array coming from a truncated power law model. Each row of the triangular array consists of i.i.d. random vectors, whose distribution matches a power law on a ball of radius going to infinity, and outside that it has a light-tailed modification. The random vectors are assumed to be R^d-valued. It turns out that there are two regimes depending on the growth rate of the truncating threshold, so that in one regime, much of the heavy tailedness is retained, while in the other regime, the same is lost.     

On the deviation between the distributions of sums and maximum sums of IID random vectors

Summary For a sequence of independent and identically distributed random vectors, with finite moment of order less than or equal to the second, the rate at which the deviation between the distribution functions of the vectors of partial sums and maximums of partial sums is obtained both when the sample size is fixed and when it is random, satisfying certain regularity conditions. When the second moments exist the rate is of ordern ^−1/4 (in the fixed sample size case). Two applications are given, first, we compliment some recent work of Ahmad (1979,J. Multivariate Anal.,9, 214–222) on rates of convergence for the vector of maximum sums and second, we obtain rates of convergence of the concentration functions of maximum sums for both the fixed and random sample size cases.     

Orthogonal random vectors and the Hurwitz-Radon-Eckmann theorem

In several different aspects of algebra and topology the following problem is of interest: find the maximal number of unitary antisymmetric operatorsU _i inH = ℝ ⁿ with the propertyU _i U _j = −U _j U _i (i≠j). The solution of this problem is given by the Hurwitz-Radon-Eckmann formula. We generalize this formula in two directions: all the operatorsU _i must commute with a given arbitrary self-adjoint operator andH can be infinite-dimensional. Our second main result deals with the conditions for almost sure orthogonality of two random vectors taking values in a finite or infinite-dimensional Hilbert spaceH. Finally, both results are used to get the formula for the maximal number of pairwise almost surely orthogonal random vectors inH with the same covariance operator and each pair having a linear support inH⊕H. The paper is based on the results obtained jointly with N.P. Kandelaki (see [1,2,3]).     

New sufficient conditions of existence,moment estimations and non confluence for SDEs with non-Lipschitzian coefficients

The objective of the present paper is to find new sufficient conditions for the existence of unique strong solutions to a class of (time-inhomogeneous) stochastic differential equations with random, non-Lipschitzian coefficients. We give an example to show that our conditions are indeed weaker than those relevant conditions existing in the literature. We also derive moment estimations for the maximum process of the solution. Finally, we present a sufficient condition to ensure the non confluence property of the solution of time-homogeneous SDE which, in one dimension, is nothing but stochastic monotone property of the solution.