Markov Chain Approximations for Symmetric Jump Processes

Markov chain approximations of reversible jump processes are investigated. Tightness results and a central limit theorem are established. Moreover, given the generator of a reversible jump process with state space ℝ ^d , the approximating Markov chains are constructed explicitly. As a byproduct we obtain a definition of the Sobolev space H ^α/2(ℝ ^d ), α∈(0,2), that is equivalent to the standard one.