In this paper we consider the degree-wise effect of a second step for a random walk on a graph. We prove that under the configuration model, for any fixed degree sequence the probability of exceeding a given degree threshold is smaller after two steps than after one. This builds on recent work of Kramer et al. (2016) regarding the friendship paradox under random walks.

This paper studies the friendship paradox for weighted and directed networks, from a probabilistic perspective. We consolidate and extend recent results of Cao and Ross and Kramer, Cutler and Radcliffe, to weighted networks. Friendship paradox results for directed networks are given; connections to detailed balance are considered.

The main aim of this paper is to prove the quenched central limit theorem for reversible random walks in a stationary random environment on Z without having the integrability condition on the conductance and without using any martingale. The method shown here is particularly simple and was introduced by Depauw and Derrien [3]. More precisely, for a given realization ω of the environment, we consider the Poisson equation (Pω - I)g = f, and then use the pointwise ergodic theorem in [8] to treat the limit of solutions and then the central limit theorem will be established by the convergence of moments. In particular, there is an analogue to a Markov process with discrete space and the diffusion in a stationary random environment.

We identify the Poisson boundary of the dual of the universal compact quantum group Au(F) with a measurable field of ITPFI (infinite tensor product of finite type I) factors.

Consider a family of random ordered graph trees (Tn)n≥1, where Tn has n vertices. It has previously been established that if the associated search-depth processes converge to the normalised Brownian excursion when rescaled appropriately as n → ∞, then the simple random walks on the graph trees have the Brownian motion on the Brownian continuum random tree as their scaling limit. Here, this result is extended to demonstrate the existence of a diffusion scaling limit whenever the volume measure on the limiting real tree is nonatomic, supported on the leaves of the limiting tree, and satisfies a polynomial lower bound for the volume of balls. Furthermore, as an application of this generalisation, it is established that the simple random walks on a family of Galton-Watson trees with a critical infinite variance offspring distribution, conditioned on the total number of offspring, can be rescaled to converge to the Brownian motion on a related α-stable tree.

In this paper we consider an aperiodic integer-valued random walk $S$ and a process $S^{\ast }$ that is a harmonic transform of $S$ killed when it first enters the negative half; informally, $S^{\ast }$ is ‘$S$ conditioned to stay non-negative’. If $S$ is in the domain of attraction of the standard normal law, without centring, a suitably normed and linearly interpolated version of $S$ converges weakly to standard Brownian motion, and our main result is that under the same assumptions a corresponding statement holds for $S^{\ast }$, the limit of course being the three-dimensional Bessel process. As this process can be thought of as Brownian motion conditioned to stay non-negative, in essence our result shows that the interchange of the two limit operations is valid. We also establish some related results, including a local limit theorem for $S^{\ast }$, and a bivariate renewal theorem for the ladder time and height process, which may be of independent interest.

We consider a random walker on a d-regular graph. Starting from a fixed vertex, the first step is a unit step in any one of the d directions, with common probability 1/d for each one. At any later step, the random walker moves in any one of the directions, with probability q for a reversal of direction and probability p for any other direction. This model was introduced and first studied by Gillis (1955), in the case when the graph is a d-dimensional square lattice. We prove that the Gillis random walk on a d-regular graph is recurrent if and only if the simple random walk on the graph is recurrent. The Green function of the Gillis random walk will be also given, in terms of that of the simple random walk.

We consider the asymptotic behaviour of the stationary tail probabilities in the discrete-time GI/G/1-type queue with countable background state space. These probabilities are presented in matrix form with respect to the background state space, and shown to be the solution of a Markov renewal equation. Using this fact, we consider their decay rates. Applying the Markov renewal theorem, it is shown that certain reasonable conditions lead to the geometric decay of the tail probabilities as the level goes to infinity. We exemplify this result using a discrete-time priority queue with a single server and two types of customer.

We study numerical integration based on Markov chains. Our focus is on establishing error bounds uniformly on classes of integrands. Since in general state space the concept of uniform ergodicity is too restrictive to cover important cases, we analyze the error of V-uniformly ergodic Markov chains. We place emphasis on the interplay between ergodicity properties of the transition kernel, the initial distributions and the classes of integrands. Our analysis is based on arguments from interpolation theory.

We prove an estimate for the speed of convergence of the transition probability for a symmetric random walk on a nilpotent covering graph. To obtain this estimate, we give a complete proof of the Gaussian bound for the gradient of the Markov kernel.

This paper studies recurrence properties of autoregressive (AR) processes with ‘super-heavy-tailed’ innovations. Specifically, we study the case where the innovations are distributed, roughly speaking, as log-Pareto random variables (i.e. the tail decay is essentially a logarithm raised to some power). We show that these processes exhibit interesting and somewhat surprising behaviour. In particular, we show that AR(1) processes, with the usual root assumption that is necessary for stability, can exhibit null-recurrent as well as transient dynamics when the innovations follow a log-Cauchy-type distribution. In this regime, the recurrence classification of the process depends, somewhat surprisingly, on the value of the constant pre-multiplier of this distribution. More generally, for log-Pareto innovations, we provide a positive-recurrence/null-recurrence/transience classification of the corresponding AR processes.

We investigate some effects that the ‘light' trimming of a sum Sn = X1 + X2 + · ·· + Xn of independent and identically distributed random variables has on behaviour of iterated logarithm type. Light trimming is defined as removing a constant number of summands from Sn. We consider two versions: (r)Sn, which is obtained by deleting the r largest Xi from Sn, and , which is obtained by deleting the r variables Xi which are largest in absolute value from Sn. We summarise some relevant results from Rogozin (1968), Heyde (1969), and later writers concerning the untrimmed sum, and add some new results concerning trimmed sums. Among other things we show that a general form of the law of the iterated logarithm holds for but not (completely) for .

Using random walk theory, we first establish explicitly the exact distribution of the maximal partial sum of a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables. This result allows us to obtain a new approximation of the distribution of the local score of one sequence. This approximation improves the one given by Karlin et al., which can be deduced from this new formula. We obtain a more accurate asymptotic expression with additional terms. Examples of application are given.

This paper is devoted to a study of the integral of the workload process of the single server queue, in particular during one busy period. Firstly, we find asymptotics of the area 𝒜 swept under the workload process W(t) during the busy period when the service time distribution has a regularly varying tail. We also investigate the case of a light-tailed service time distribution. Secondly, we consider the problem of obtaining an explicit expression for the distribution of 𝒜. In the general GI/G/1 case, we use a sequential approximation to find the Laplace—Stieltjes transform of 𝒜. In the M/M/1 case, this transform is obtained explicitly in terms of Whittaker functions. Thirdly, we consider moments of 𝒜 in the GI/G/1 queue. Finally, we show asymptotic normality of .

Scherk's graph is a subgraph of the three-dimensional lattice. It was shown by Markvorsen, McGuinness and Thomassen (1992) that Scherk's graph is transient. Consider the Bernoulli bond percolation in Scherk's graph. We prove that the infinite cluster is transient for p > ½ and is recurrent for p < ½. This implies the well-known result of Grimmett, Kesten and Zhang (1993) on the transience of the infinite cluster of the Bernoulli bond percolation in the three-dimensional lattice for p > ½. On the other hand, Scherk's graph exhibits a new dichotomy in the supercritical region.

The transition functions for the correlated random walk with two absorbing boundaries are derived by means of a combinatorial construction which is based on Krattenthaler's theorem for counting lattice paths with turns. Results for walks with one boundary and for unrestricted walks are presented as special cases. Finally we give an asymptotic formula, which proves to be useful for computational purposes.

In this paper we consider an irreducible random walk in Z+ defined by X(m+1) = max(0, X(m) + A(m+1)) with E{A} < 0 and for an s ≥ 0 where a+ = max(0,a). Let π be the stationary distribution of X. We show that one can find probability distributions πn supported by {0,n} such that ||πn - π||1 ≤ Cn-s, where the constant C is computable in terms of the moments of A, and also that ||πn - π||1 = o(n-s). Moreover, this upper bound reveals exact for s ≥ 1, in the sense that, for any positive ε, we can find a random walk fulfilling the above assumptions and for which the relation ||πn - π||1 = o(n-s-ε) does not hold. This result is used to derive the exact convergence rate of the time stationary distribution of an M/GI/1/n queueing system to the time stationary distribution of the corresponding M/GI/1 queueing system when n tends to infinity.

A simple asymmetric random walk on the integers is stopped when its range is of a given length. When and where is it stopped? Analogous questions can be stated for a Brownian motion. Such problems are studied using results for the classical ruin problem, yielding results for the cover time and the range, both for asymmetric random walks and Brownian motion with drift.

A recent study on the GI/G/1 queue derives the Maclaurin series for the moments of the waiting time and the delay to respect to some parameters. By the same approach, we obtain an identity on the moments of the transient delay of the M/G/1 queue. This identity allows us to understand the transient behavior of the process better. We apply the identity with other established results to study convergence rate and stochastic concavity of the transient delay process, and to derive bounds and approximations of the moments. Our approximation and bound both have simple closed forms and are asymptotically exact as either the traffic intensity goes to zero or the process approaches stationarity. Performance of the approximation of several M/G/1 queues is illustrated by numerical experiments. It is interesting to note that our results can also help to gain variance reduction in simulation.

In this paper we consider limit theorems for a random walk in a random environment, (Xn). Known results (recurrence-transience criteria, law of large numbers) in the case of independent environments are naturally extended to the case where the environments are only supposed to be stationary and ergodic. Furthermore, if ‘the fluctuations of the random transition probabilities around are small’, we show that there exists an invariant probability measure for ‘the environments seen from the position of (Xn)’. In the case of uniquely ergodic (therefore non-independent) environments, this measure exists as soon as (Xn) is transient so that the ‘slow diffusion phenomenon’ does not appear as it does in the independent case. Thus, under regularity conditions, we prove that, in this case, the random walk satisfies a central limit theorem for any fixed environment.