Related papers: Maximal percentages in Polya's urn
We study approximation in the unit interval by rational numbers whose numerators are selected randomly with certain probabilities. Previous work showed that an analogue of Khintchine's Theorem holds in a similar random model and raised the…
We introduce a new model for contagion spread using a network of interacting finite memory two-color P\'{o}lya urns, which we refer to as the finite memory interacting P\'{o}lya contagion network. The urns interact in the sense that the…
We take an $L_1$-dense class of functions $\Cal F$ on a measurable space $(X,\Cal X)$ together with a sequence of independent, identically distributed $X$-space valued random variables $\xi_1,\dots,\xi_n$ and give a good estimate on the…
To make a joint decision, agents (or voters) are often required to provide their preferences as linear orders. To determine a winner, the given linear orders can be aggregated according to a voting protocol. However, in realistic settings,…
We show that an arbitrary probability distribution can be represented in exponential form. In physical contexts, this implies that the equilibrium distribution of any classical or quantum dynamical system is expressible in grand canonical…
We consider an urn model, whose replacement matrix has all entries nonnegative and is balanced, that is, has constant row sums. We obtain the rates of the counts of balls corresponding to each color for the strong laws to hold. The analysis…
Consider elections where the set of candidates is partitioned into parties, and each party must nominate exactly one candidate. The Possible President problem asks whether some candidate of a given party can become the winner of the…
We consider a version of the classical Ehrenfest urn model with two urns and two types of balls: regular and heavy. Each ball is selected independently according to a Poisson process having rate $1$ for regular balls and rate…
Let $\omega_0, \omega_1,\ldots, \omega_n$ be a full set of outcomes (letters, symbols) and let positive $p_i$, $i=0,\ldots,n$, be their probabilities ($\sum_{i=0}^n p_i=1$). Let us treat $\omega_0$ as a stop symbol; it can occur in…
In this paper, we prove optimal local universality for roots of random polynomials with arbitrary coeffcients of polynomial growth. As an application, we derive, for the first time, sharp estimates for the number of real roots of these…
We study an urn process with two urns, initialized with a ball each. Balls are added sequentially, the urn being chosen independently with probability proportional to the $\alpha^{th}$ power $(\alpha >1)$ of the existing number of balls. We…
Given a complex polynomial $P$ with zeroes $z_1,\dotsc,z_d$, we show that the asymptotic zero-counting measure of the iterated derivatives $Q^{(n)}, \ n=1,2,\dotsc$, where $Q=R/P$ is any irreducible rational function, converges to an…
We consider the volume of a Boolean expression of some congruent balls about a given system of centers in the $d$-dimensional Euclidean space. When the radius $r$ of the balls is large, this volume can be approximated by a polynomial of…
Imagine that there are two bins to which balls are added sequentially, and each incoming ball joins a bin with probability proportional to the p-th power of the number of balls already there. A general result says that if p>1/2, there…
Consider a graph $G=(V,E)$ and an initial random coloring where each vertex $v \in V$ is blue with probability $P_b$ and red otherwise, independently from all other vertices. In each round, all vertices simultaneously switch their color to…
We study the infinite urn scheme when the balls are sequentially distributed over an infinite number of urns labelled 1,2,... so that the urn $j$ at every draw gets a ball with probability $p_j$, $\sum_j p_j=1$. We prove functional central…
We describe a maximum entropy approach for computing volumes and counting integer points in polyhedra. To estimate the number of points from a particular set X in R^n in a polyhedron P in R^n, by solving a certain entropy maximization…
The models surveyed include generalized P\'{o}lya urns, reinforced random walks, interacting urn models, and continuous reinforced processes. Emphasis is on methods and results, with sketches provided of some proofs. Applications are…
We extend classical theorems of Renyi by finding the distributions of the numbers of both weak and strong left-to-right maxima (a.k.a. outstanding elements) in words over a given alphabet and in permutations of a given multiset.
We hypothesize that if election results are manipulated or forged, then, due to the well-known human attraction to round numbers, the frequency of reported round percentages can be increased. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed raw data…