Related papers: Optimal stopping time and halting set for total va…
A wide class of ``counting'' problems have been studied in Computer Science. Three typical examples are the estimation of - (i) the permanent of an $n\times n$ 0-1 matrix, (ii) the partition function of certain $n-$ particle Statistical…
We consider the computational task of sampling a bit string $x$ from a distribution $\pi(x)=|\langle x|\psi\rangle|^2$, where $\psi$ is the unique ground state of a local Hamiltonian $H$. Our main result describes a direct link between the…
For a Markov decision process with countably infinite states, the optimal value may not be achievable in the set of stationary policies. In this paper, we study the existence conditions of an optimal stationary policy in a countable-state…
In this article we study the so-called cut-off phenomenon in the total variation distance when $n\to \infty$ for the family of continuous-time stochastic processes indexed by $n\in \mathbb{N}$, \[ \left( \mathcal{Z}^{(n)}_t=…
In this article, we prove the cutoff phenomenon for a general class of the discrete-time nonlinear recombination models. This system models the evolution of a probability measure on a finite product space $S^n$ representing the state of…
The problem of efficiently sampling from a set of(undirected) graphs with a given degree sequence has many applications. One approach to this problem uses a simple Markov chain, which we call the switch chain, to perform the sampling. The…
We study the problem of a run and tumble particle in a harmonic trap, with a finite run and tumble time, by a direct integration of the equation of motion. An exact 1D steady state distribution, diagram laws and a programmable Volterra…
By a classical result of Gray, Neuhoff and Shields (1975) the $\bar\varrho$ distance between stationary processes is identified with an optimal stationary coupling problem of the corresponding stationary measures on the infinite product…
We find Gaussian cutoff profiles for the total variation distance to stationarity of a random walk on a multiplex network: a finite number of directed configuration models sharing a vertex set, each with its own bounded degree distribution…
We study perturbation theory and uniform ergodicity for discrete-time Markov chains on general state spaces in terms of the uniform moments of the first hitting times on some set. The methods we adopt are different from previous ones. For…
This paper is a survey of various proofs of the so called {\em fundamental theorem of Markov chains}: every ergodic Markov chain has a unique positive stationary distribution and the chain attains this distribution in the limit independent…
Couplings play a central role in contemporary Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and in the analysis of their convergence to stationarity. In most cases, a coupling must induce relatively fast meeting between chains to ensure good…
This work focuses on time-inhomogeneous Markov chains with two time scales. Our motivations stem from applications in reliability and dependability, queueing networks, financial engineering and manufacturing systems, where two-time-scale…
Time-optimal control for high-order chain-of-integrator systems with full state constraints remains an open and challenging problem within the discipline of optimal control. The behavior of optimal control in high-order problems lacks…
Given a stochastic state process $(X_t)_t$ and a real-valued submartingale cost process $(S_t)_t$, we characterize optimal stopping times $\tau$ that minimize the expectation of $S_\tau$ while realizing given initial and target…
Synchronization of coupled continuous-time linear systems is studied in a general setting. For identical neutrally-stable linear systems that are detectable from their outputs, it is shown that a linear output feedback law exists under…
We consider a system of $N$ particles interacting through their empirical distribution on a finite state space in continuous time. In the formal limit as $N\to\infty$, the system takes the form of a nonlinear (McKean--Vlasov) Markov chain.…
Markov chains are convenient means of generating realizations of networks with a given (joint or otherwise) degree distribution, since they simply require a procedure for rewiring edges. The major challenge is to find the right number of…
We study the stochastic dynamics of a system of interacting species in a stochastic environment by means of a continuous-time Markov chain with transition rates depending on the state of the environment. Models of gene regulation in systems…
In the analysis of Markov chains and processes, it is sometimes convenient to replace an unbounded state space with a "truncated" bounded state space. When such a replacement is made, one often wants to know whether the equilibrium behavior…