English

Yaglom limits can depend on the starting state

Probability 2017-09-25 v1

Abstract

We construct a simple example, surely known to Harry Kesten, of an R-transient Markov chain on a countable state space S with cemetery state delta. The transition matrix K on S is irreducible and strictly substochastic. We determine the Yaglom limit, that is, the limiting conditional behavior given non-absorption. Each starting state x in S results in a different Yaglom limit. Each Yaglom limit is an rho-invariant quasi-stationary distribution where rho=1/R and R is the convergence parameter of KK. Yaglom limits that depend on the starting state are related to a nontrivial rho-Martin entrance boundary.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1709.07578,
  title  = {Yaglom limits can depend on the starting state},
  author = {R. D. Foley and D. R. McDonald},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1709.07578},
  year   = {2017}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-22T21:51:23.928Z