Efficient Steady-State Simulation of High-Dimensional Stochastic Networks

We propose and study an asymptotically optimal Monte Carlo estimator for steady-state expectations of a d-dimensional reflected Brownian motion (RBM). Our estimator is asymptotically optimal in the sense that it requires [Formula: see text] (up to logarithmic factors in d) independent and identically distributed scalar Gaussian random variables in order to output an estimate with a controlled error. Our construction is based on the analysis of a suitable multilevel Monte Carlo strategy which, we believe, can be applied widely. This is the first algorithm with linear complexity (under suitable regularity conditions) for a steady-state estimation of RBM as the dimension increases.

Sensitivity Analysis for the Stationary Distribution of Reflected Brownian Motion in a Convex Polyhedral Cone

Reflected Brownian motion (RBM) in a convex polyhedral cone arises in a variety of applications ranging from the theory of stochastic networks to mathematical finance, and under general stability conditions, it has a unique stationary distribution. In such applications, to implement a stochastic optimization algorithm or quantify robustness of a model, it is useful to characterize the dependence of stationary performance measures on model parameters. In this paper, we characterize parametric sensitivities of the stationary distribution of an RBM in a simple convex polyhedral cone, that is, sensitivities to perturbations of the parameters that define the RBM—namely the covariance matrix, drift vector, and directions of reflection along the boundary of the polyhedral cone. In order to characterize these sensitivities, we study the long-time behavior of the joint process consisting of an RBM along with its so-called derivative process, which characterizes pathwise derivatives of RBMs on finite time intervals. We show that the joint process is positive recurrent and has a unique stationary distribution and that parametric sensitivities of the stationary distribution of an RBM can be expressed in terms of the stationary distribution of the joint process. This can be thought of as establishing an interchange of the differential operator and the limit in time. The analysis of ergodicity of the joint process is significantly more complicated than that of the RBM because of its degeneracy and the fact that the derivative process exhibits jumps that are modulated by the RBM. The proofs of our results rely on path properties of coupled RBMs and contraction properties related to the geometry of the polyhedral cone and directions of reflection along the boundary. Our results are potentially useful for developing efficient numerical algorithms for computing sensitivities of functionals of stationary RBMs.

Parisian Time of Reflected Brownian Motion with Drift on Rays and Its Application in Banking

In this paper, we study the Parisian time of a reflected Brownian motion with drift on a finite collection of rays. We derive the Laplace transform of the Parisian time using a recursive method, and provide an exact simulation algorithm to sample from the distribution of the Parisian time. The paper was motivated by the settlement delay in the real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system. Both the central bank and the participating banks in the system are concerned about the liquidity risk, and are interested in the first time that the duration of settlement delay exceeds a predefined limit. We reduce this problem to the calculation of the Parisian time. The Parisian time is also crucial in the pricing of Parisian type options; to this end, we will compare our results to the existing literature.

Jackson network in a random environment: strong approximation

We consider a Jackson network with regenerative input flows in which every server is subject to a random environment influence generating breakdowns and repairs. They occur in accordance with two independent sequences of i.i.d. random variables. We establish a theorem on the strong approximation of the vector of queue lengths by a reflected Brownian motion in positive orthant.

Parisian Time of Reflected Brownian Motion With Drift on Rays

In this paper, we study the Parisian time of a reflected Brownian motion with drift on a finite collection of rays. We derive the Laplace transform of the Parisian time using a recursive method, and provide an exact simulation algorithm to sample from the distribution of the Parisian time. The paper is motivated by the settlement delay in the real-time gross settlement (RTGS) system. Both the central bank and the participating banks in the system are concerned about the liquidity risk, and are interested in the first time that the duration of settlement delay exceeds a predefined limit, we reduce this problem to the calculation of the Parisian time. The Parisian time is also crucial in the pricing of Parisian type options; to this end, we will compare our results with the existing literature.

Sticky-reflected stochastic heat equation driven by colored noise

UDC 519.21 We prove the existence of a sticky-reflected solution to the heat equation on the spatial interval driven by colored noise. The process can be interpreted as an infinite-dimensional analog of the sticky-reflected Brownian motion on the real line, but now the solution obeys the usual stochastic heat equation except for points where it reaches zero. The solution has no noise at zero and a drift pushes it to stay positive. The proof is based on a new approach that can also be applied to other types of SPDEs with discontinuous coefficients.