The robustness of positive recurrence and recurrence of Markov chains under perturbations of the transition probabilities

1975 ◽  
Vol 12 (04) ◽  
pp. 744-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Tweedie
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
Finite Number ◽  
Transition Probabilities ◽  
General State ◽  
Transition Matrices ◽  
Positive Recurrence ◽  
Markov Chain Models ◽  
Countable Space ◽  
General State Space

In many Markov chain models, the immediate characteristic of importance is the positive recurrence of the chain. In this note we investigate whether positivity, and also recurrence, are robust properties of Markov chains when the transition laws are perturbed. The chains we consider are on a fairly general state space : when specialised to a countable space, our results are essentially that, if the transition matrices of two irreducible chains coincide on all but a finite number of columns, then positivity of one implies positivity of both; whilst if they coincide on all but a finite number of rows and columns, recurrence of one implies recurrence of both. Examples are given to show that these results (and their general analogues) cannot in general be strengthened.

The robustness of positive recurrence and recurrence of Markov chains under perturbations of the transition probabilities

1975 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 744-752 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L. Tweedie
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
Finite Number ◽  
Transition Probabilities ◽  
General State ◽  
Transition Matrices ◽  
Positive Recurrence ◽  
Markov Chain Models ◽  
Countable Space ◽  
General State Space

In many Markov chain models, the immediate characteristic of importance is the positive recurrence of the chain. In this note we investigate whether positivity, and also recurrence, are robust properties of Markov chains when the transition laws are perturbed. The chains we consider are on a fairly general state space : when specialised to a countable space, our results are essentially that, if the transition matrices of two irreducible chains coincide on all but a finite number of columns, then positivity of one implies positivity of both; whilst if they coincide on all but a finite number of rows and columns, recurrence of one implies recurrence of both. Examples are given to show that these results (and their general analogues) cannot in general be strengthened.

Criteria for classifying general Markov chains

1976 ◽  
Vol 8 (04) ◽  
pp. 737-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Tweedie
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
State Space ◽  
The State ◽  
General State ◽  
Classical Work ◽  
The Status ◽  
General State Space

The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive set of criteria for classifying as recurrent, transient, null or positive the sets visited by a general state space Markov chain. When the chain is irreducible in some sense, these then provide criteria for classifying the chain itself, provided the sets considered actually reflect the status of the chain as a whole. The first part of the paper is concerned with the connections between various definitions of recurrence, transience, nullity and positivity for sets and for irreducible chains; here we also elaborate the idea of status sets for irreducible chains. In the second part we give our criteria for classifying sets. When the state space is countable, our results for recurrence, transience and positivity reduce to the classical work of Foster (1953); for continuous-valued chains they extend results of Lamperti (1960), (1963); for general spaces the positivity and recurrence criteria strengthen those of Tweedie (1975b).

Quasi-stationary distributions for Markov chains on a general state space

1974 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 726-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard. L. Tweedie
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Invariant Measure ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
State Space ◽  
Finiteness Condition ◽  
General State ◽  
Stationary Distributions ◽  
General State Space ◽  
Countably Infinite ◽  
Stationary Behaviour

The quasi-stationary behaviour of a Markov chain which is φ-irreducible when restricted to a subspace of a general state space is investigated. It is shown that previous work on the case where the subspace is finite or countably infinite can be extended to general chains, and the existence of certain quasi-stationary limits as honest distributions is equivalent to the restricted chain being R-positive with the unique R-invariant measure satisfying a certain finiteness condition.

General transition probabilities for finite Markov chains

1964 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel F. Neuts
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
Finite Number ◽  
Discrete Time ◽  
Transition Probabilities ◽  
Initial State ◽  
Discrete Time Markov Chain ◽  
Finite Markov Chains

We consider a stationary discrete-time Markov chain with a finite number m of possible states which we designate by 1,…,m. We assume that at time t = 0 the process is in an initial state i with probability (i = 1,…, m) and such that and .

Quasi-stationary distributions for Markov chains on a general state space

1974 ◽  
Vol 11 (04) ◽  
pp. 726-741 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard. L. Tweedie
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Invariant Measure ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
State Space ◽  
Finiteness Condition ◽  
General State ◽  
Stationary Distributions ◽  
General State Space ◽  
Countably Infinite ◽  
Stationary Behaviour

The quasi-stationary behaviour of a Markov chain which is φ-irreducible when restricted to a subspace of a general state space is investigated. It is shown that previous work on the case where the subspace is finite or countably infinite can be extended to general chains, and the existence of certain quasi-stationary limits as honest distributions is equivalent to the restricted chain being R-positive with the unique R-invariant measure satisfying a certain finiteness condition.

Orthogonal measures and absorbing sets for Markov chains

1997 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
PEI-DE CHEN ◽  
R. L. TWEEDIE
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
State Space ◽  
Finite Measure ◽  
Countable Union ◽  
General State ◽  
Positive Mass ◽  
Absorbing Sets ◽  
General State Space ◽  
Orthogonal Measures

For a general state space Markov chain on a space (X, [Bscr ](X)), the existence of a Doeblin decomposition, implying the state space can be written as a countable union of absorbing ‘recurrent’ sets and a transient set, is known to be a consequence of several different conditions all implying in some way that there is not an uncountable collection of absorbing sets. These include([Mscr ]) there exists a finite measure which gives positive mass to each absorbing subset of X;([Gscr ]) there exists no uncountable collection of points (xα) such that the measures Kθ(xα, ·)[colone ](1−θ)ΣPn(xα, ·)θn are mutually singular;([Cscr ]) there is no uncountable disjoint class of absorbing subsets of X.We prove that if [Bscr ](X) is countably generated and separated (distinct elements in X can be separated by disjoint measurable sets), then these conditions are equivalent. Other results on the structure of absorbing sets are also developed.

Criteria for classifying general Markov chains

1976 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 737-771 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Tweedie
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
State Space ◽  
The State ◽  
General State ◽  
Classical Work ◽  
The Status ◽  
General State Space

The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive set of criteria for classifying as recurrent, transient, null or positive the sets visited by a general state space Markov chain. When the chain is irreducible in some sense, these then provide criteria for classifying the chain itself, provided the sets considered actually reflect the status of the chain as a whole. The first part of the paper is concerned with the connections between various definitions of recurrence, transience, nullity and positivity for sets and for irreducible chains; here we also elaborate the idea of status sets for irreducible chains. In the second part we give our criteria for classifying sets. When the state space is countable, our results for recurrence, transience and positivity reduce to the classical work of Foster (1953); for continuous-valued chains they extend results of Lamperti (1960), (1963); for general spaces the positivity and recurrence criteria strengthen those of Tweedie (1975b).

scholarly journals Foster-type criteria for Markov chains on general spaces

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 1194-1200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian H. Fralix
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
State Space ◽  
Open Problem ◽  
Stopping Times ◽  
Geometric Ergodicity ◽  
General State ◽  
Harris Recurrence ◽  
General State Space ◽  
Drift Conditions

This paper establishes new Foster-type criteria for a Markov chain on a general state space to be Harris recurrent, positive Harris recurrent, or geometrically ergodic. The criteria are based on drift conditions involving stopping times rather than deterministic steps. Meyn and Tweedie (1994) developed similar criteria involving random-sized steps, independent of the Markov chain under study. They also posed an open problem of finding criteria involving stopping times. Our results essentially solve that problem. We also show that the assumption of ψ-irreducibility is not needed when stating our drift conditions for positive Harris recurrence or geometric ergodicity.

scholarly journals Foster-type criteria for Markov chains on general spaces

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (04) ◽  
pp. 1194-1200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian H. Fralix
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Markov Chains ◽  
State Space ◽  
Open Problem ◽  
Stopping Times ◽  
Geometric Ergodicity ◽  
General State ◽  
Harris Recurrence ◽  
General State Space ◽  
Drift Conditions

This paper establishes new Foster-type criteria for a Markov chain on a general state space to be Harris recurrent, positive Harris recurrent, or geometrically ergodic. The criteria are based on drift conditions involving stopping times rather than deterministic steps. Meyn and Tweedie (1994) developed similar criteria involving random-sized steps, independent of the Markov chain under study. They also posed an open problem of finding criteria involving stopping times. Our results essentially solve that problem. We also show that the assumption of ψ-irreducibility is not needed when stating our drift conditions for positive Harris recurrence or geometric ergodicity.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document