Related papers: The switch Markov chain for sampling irregular gra…
In this work, we study how to efficiently obtain perfect samples from a discrete distribution $\mathcal{D}$ given access only to pairwise comparisons of elements of its support. Specifically, we assume access to samples $(x, S)$, where $S$…
We study the limiting object of a sequence of Markov chains analogous to the limits of graphs, hypergraphs, and other objects which have been studied. Following a suggestion of Aldous, we assign to a sequence of finite Markov chains with…
Considering a Markov chain defined on a cycle, near-quadratic improvement of mixing is shown when only a subtle perturbation is introduced to the structure and non-reversible transition probabilities are used. More precisely, a mixing time…
Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms are invaluable tools for exploring stationary properties of physical systems, especially in situations where direct sampling is unfeasible. Common implementations of Monte Carlo algorithms employ…
We show a strict hierarchy among various edge and vertex expansion properties of Markov chains. This gives easy proofs of a range of bounds, both classical and new, on chi-square distance, spectral gap and mixing time. The 2-gradient is…
`Double edge swaps' transform one graph into another while preserving the graph's degree sequence, and have thus been used in a number of popular Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling techniques. However, while double edge-swaps can…
We examine the problem of exactly or approximately counting all perfect matchings in hereditary classes of nonbipartite graphs. In particular, we consider the switch Markov chain of Diaconis, Graham and Holmes. We determine the largest…
In this paper, we consider the Markov-Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach for random sampling of combinatorial objects. The running time of such an algorithm depends on the total mixing time of the underlying Markov chain and is unknown in…
Random graphs with a given degree sequence are often constructed using the configuration model, which yields a random multigraph. We may adjust this multigraph by a sequence of switchings, eventually yielding a simple graph. We show that,…
Switching dynamical systems are an expressive model class for the analysis of time-series data. As in many fields within the natural and engineering sciences, the systems under study typically evolve continuously in time, it is natural to…
Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms are often used for approximate inference inside learning, but their slow mixing can be difficult to diagnose and the approximations can seriously degrade learning. To alleviate these issues, we…
An important problem in the implementation of Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms is to determine the convergence time, or the number of iterations before the chain is close to stationarity. For many Markov chains used in practice this time…
Markov chain Monte Carlo is widely used in a variety of scientific applications to generate approximate samples from intractable distributions. A thorough understanding of the convergence and mixing properties of these Markov chains can be…
Discrete-time discrete-state finite Markov chains are versatile mathematical models for a wide range of real-life stochastic processes. One of most common tasks in studies of Markov chains is computation of the stationary distribution.…
A new approach is developed for evaluating the convergence rate for nonlinear Markov chains (MC) based on the recently developed spectral radius technique of markovian coupling for linear MC and the idea of small nonlinear perturbations of…
This article provides the first procedure for computing a fully data-dependent interval that traps the mixing time $t_{\text{mix}}$ of a finite reversible ergodic Markov chain at a prescribed confidence level. The interval is computed from…
We study the problem of generating connected random graphs with no self-loops or multiple edges and that, in addition, have a given degree sequence. The generation method we focus on is the edge-switching Markov-chain method, whose…
The convergence rate of a Markov chain to its stationary distribution is typically assessed using the concept of total variation mixing time. However, this worst-case measure often yields pessimistic estimates and is challenging to infer…
Monotonic surfaces spanning finite regions of $Z^d$ arise in many contexts, including DNA-based self-assembly, card-shuffling and lozenge tilings. One method that has been used to uniformly generate these surfaces is a Markov chain that…
Random walk sampling methods have been widely used in graph sampling in recent years, while it has bias towards higher degree nodes in the sample. To overcome this deficiency, classical methods such as MHRW design weighted walking by…