English

Fractional multiplicative processes

Probability 2009-02-18 v1

Abstract

Statistically self-similar measures on [0,1][0,1] are limit of multiplicative cascades of random weights distributed on the bb-adic subintervals of [0,1][0,1]. These weights are i.i.d, positive, and of expectation 1/b1/b. We extend these cascades naturally by allowing the random weights to take negative values. This yields martingales taking values in the space of continuous functions on [0,1][0,1]. Specifically, we consider for each H(0,1)H\in (0,1) the martingale (Bn)n1(B_{n})_{n\geq1} obtained when the weights take the values bH-b^{-H} and bHb^{-H}, in order to get BnB_n converging almost surely uniformly to a statistically self-similar function BB whose H\"{o}lder regularity and fractal properties are comparable with that of the fractional Brownian motion of exponent HH. This indeed holds when H(1/2,1)H\in(1/2,1). Also the construction introduces a new kind of law, one that it is stable under random weighted averaging and satisfies the same functional equation as the standard symmetric stable law of index 1/H1/H. When H(0,1/2]H\in(0,1/2], to the contrary, BnB_n diverges almost surely. However, a natural normalization factor an a_n makes the normalized correlated random walk Bn/an B_n / a_n converge in law, as nn tends to \infty, to the restriction to [0,1][0,1] of the standard Brownian motion. Limit theorems are also associated with the case H>1/2H>1/2.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0902.2902,
  title  = {Fractional multiplicative processes},
  author = {Julien Barral and Benoit Mandelbrot},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0902.2902},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

17 pages, 4 figures. To appear in the Annales de l'Institut Henri Poincare (B)

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