English

Local asymptotics for the first intersection of two independent renewals

Probability 2016-03-18 v1

Abstract

We study the intersection of two independent renewal processes, ρ=τσ\rho=\tau\cap\sigma. Assuming that P(τ1=n)=φ(n)n(1+α)\mathbf{P}(\tau_1 = n ) = \varphi(n)\, n^{-(1+\alpha)} and P(σ1=n)=φ~(n)n(1+α~)\mathbf{P}(\sigma_1 = n ) = \tilde\varphi(n)\, n^{-(1+ \tilde\alpha)} for some α,α~0\alpha,\tilde \alpha \geq 0 and some slowly varying φ,φ~\varphi,\tilde\varphi, we give the asymptotic behavior first of P(ρ1>n)\mathbf{P}(\rho_1>n) (which is straightforward except in the case of min(α,α~)=1\min(\alpha,\tilde\alpha)=1) and then of P(ρ1=n)\mathbf{P}(\rho_1=n). The result may be viewed as a kind of reverse renewal theorem, as we determine probabilities P(ρ1=n)\mathbf{P}(\rho_1=n) while knowing asymptotically the renewal mass function P(nρ)=P(nτ)P(nσ)\mathbf{P}(n\in\rho)=\mathbf{P}(n\in\tau)\mathbf{P}(n\in\sigma). Our results can be used to bound coupling-related quantities, specifically the increments P(nτ)P(n1τ)|\mathbf{P}(n\in\tau)-\mathbf{P}(n-1\in\tau)| of the renewal mass function.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1603.05531,
  title  = {Local asymptotics for the first intersection of two independent renewals},
  author = {Kenneth S. Alexander and Quentin Berger},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1603.05531},
  year   = {2016}
}

Comments

1 figure, 21 pages