A simple calculation for the average number of steps to trapping in lattice random walks

We show that the asymptotic results for the average number of steps to trapping at an irreversible trapping site on aD-dimensional finite lattice can be obtained from the generating function for random walks on aninfinite perfect lattice. This introduces a significant simplification into such calculations. An interesting corollary of these calculations is the conclusion that a random walker traverses, on the average, all the distinct nontrapping lattice sites before arriving on the trapping site.This work was supported in part by NSF Grants MPS72-04363-A03 and CHE75-20624.