We consider backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) related to finite state, continuous time Markov chains. We show that appropriate solutions exist for arbitrary terminal conditions, and are unique up to sets of measure zero. We do not require the generating functions to be monotonic, instead using only an appropriate Lipschitz continuity condition.
We define fully coupled forward-backward stochastic differential equations on spaces related to continuous time, finite state Markov Chains. Existence and uniqueness results of the fully coupled forward-backward stochastic differential equations on Markov Chains are obtained.
It is known that Markovian forward-backward stochastic differential equations provide nonlinear Feynman-Kac representation formulae for semilinear parabolic PDEs. We show that non-Markovian forward-backward stochastic differential equations provide nonlinear Feynman-Kac formulae for semilinear path-dependent PDEs. This extends the result proved in Ekren, Keller, Touzi, and Zhang [4] to the case with a possibly degenerate diffusion coefficient in the forward dynamics.
In this paper, we deal with a class of mean-field backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) related to finite state, continuous time Markov chains. We obtain the existence and uniqueness theorem and a comparison theorem for solutions of one-dimensional mean-field BSDEs under Lipschitz condition.
In this paper, we provide an estimate for the solutions of reflected backward stochastic differential equations (RBSDEs) driven by a Markov chain, derive a continuous dependence property for their solutions with respect to the parameters of the equations, and show similar properties for solutions of backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs). We finally establish a comparison result for the solutions of RBSDEs driven by a Markov chain.
In this paper we discuss backward stochastic differential equations with Markov chain noise, having continuous drivers. We obtain the existence of a solution which is possibly not unique. Moreover, we show there is a minimal solution for this kind of equation and derive the corresponding comparison result. This is applied to pricing of European options in a market with Markov chain noise.
Comparison and converse comparison theorems are important parts of the research on backward stochastic differential equations. In this paper, we obtain comparison results for one dimensional backward stochastic differential equations with Markov chain noise, extending and generalizing previous work under natural and simplified hypotheses, and establish a converse comparison theorem for the same type of equation after giving the definition and properties of a type of nonlinear expectation: $f$-expectation.
We discuss a class of Backward Stochastic Differential Equations(BSDEs) with no driving martingale. When the randomness of the driver depends on a general Markov process $X$, those BSDEs are denominated Markovian BSDEs and can be associated to a deterministic problem,called Pseudo-PDE which constitute the natural generalization of a parabolicsemilinear PDE which naturally appears when the underlying filtration is Brownian. We consider two aspects of well-posedness forthe Pseudo-PDEs: "classical" and "martingale" solutions.
In 2013, Lu and Ren \cite {luren} considered anticipated backward stochastic differential equations driven by finite state, continuous time Markov chain noise and established the existence and uniqueness of the solutions of these equations and a scalar comparison theorem. In this paper, we provide an estimate for their solutions and study the duality between these equations and stochastic differential delayed equations with Markov chain noise. Finally we derive another comparison theorem for these solutions depending only on the two drivers.
Stemmed from the derivation of the optimal control to a stochastic linear-quadratic control problem with Markov jumps, we study one kind of backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) that the generator f is affected by a Markovian switching. Then, the case that the Markov chain is involved in a large state space is considered. Following the classical approach, a hierarchical approach is adopted to reduce the complexity and a singularly perturbed Markov chain is involved. We will study the asymptotic property of BSDE with the singularly perturbed Markov chain. At last, as an application…
In this paper we study backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) driven by the compensated random measure associated to a given pure jump Markov process X on a general state space K. We apply these results to prove well-posedness of a class of nonlinear parabolic differential equations on K, that generalize the Kolmogorov equation of X. Finally we formulate and solve optimal control problems for Markov jump processes, relating the value function and the optimal control law to an appropriate BSDE that also allows to construct probabilistically the unique solution to the Hamilton-Jacobi…
In this paper, we introduce a new kind of reflected backward stochastic differential equations (RBSDEs) driven by a martingale, in a Markov chain model, but not driven by Brownian motion, and give existence and uniqueness results for the new equations. Then we discuss American options in a finite state Markov chain model, in the presence of a stochastic discount function (SDF) and using the theory of the new RBSDEs. We show that there exists a constrained super-hedging strategy for an American option, which is unique in our framework as the solution to an RBSDE.
We study optimal stochastic control problem for non-Markovian stochastic differential equations (SDEs) where the drift, diffusion coefficients, and gain functionals are path-dependent, and importantly we do not make any ellipticity assumption on the SDE. We develop a controls randomization approach, and prove that the value function can be reformulated under a family of dominated measures on an enlarged filtered probability space. This value function is then characterized by a backward SDE with nonpositive jumps under a single probability measure, which can be viewed as a path-dependent versio…
The objective of this paper is to give conditions ensuring that the backward partial integro differential equation associated with a multidimensional jump-diffusion with a pure jump component has a unique classical solution; that is the solution is continuous, twice differentiable in the diffusion component and differentiable in time. Our proof uses a probabilistic arguments and extends the results of Pham (1998) to processes with a pure jump component where the jump intensity is modulated by a diffusion process. This result is particularly useful in some applications to pricing and hedging of…
Two discretizations of a class of locally Lipschitz Markovian backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) are studied. The first is the classical Euler scheme which approximates a projection of the processes Z, and the second a novel scheme based on Malliavin weights which approximates the mariginals of the process Z directly. Extending the representation theorem of Ma and Zhang leads to advanced a priori estimates and stability results for this class of BSDEs. These estimates are then used to obtain competitive convergence rates for both schemes with respect to the number of points in …
This paper explores the relationship between non-Markovian fully coupled forward-backward stochastic systems and path-dependent PDEs. The definition of classical solution for the path-dependent PDE is given within the framework of functional Itô calculus. Under mild hypotheses, we prove that the forward-backward stochastic system provides the unique classical solution to the path-dependent PDE.
As well-known, transition probabilities of jump Markov processes satisfy Kolmogorov's backward and forward equations. In the seminal 1940 paper, William Feller investigated solutions of Kolmogorov's equations for jump Markov processes. Recently the authors solved the problem studied by Feller and showed that the minimal solution of Kolmogorov's backward and forward equations is the transition probability of the corresponding jump Markov process if the transition rate at each state is bounded. This paper presents more general results. For Kolmogorov's backward equation, the sufficient condition…
We show stability and locality of the minimal supersolution of a forward backward stochastic differential equation with respect to the underlying forward process under weak assumptions on the generator. The forward process appears both in the generator and the terminal condition. Painlevé-Kuratowski and Convex Epi-convergence are used to establish the stability. For Markovian forward processes the minimal supersolution is shown to have the Markov property. Furthermore, it is related to a time-shifted problem and identified as the unique minimal viscosity supersolution of a corresponding PDE.
In fluid dynamics governed by the one dimensional inviscid Burgers equation $\partial_t u+u\partial_x(u)=0$, the stirring is explained by the sticky particles model. A Markov process $([Z^1_t,Z^2_t],\,t\geq0)$ describes the motion of random turbulent intervals which evolve inside an other Markov process $([Z^3_t,Z^4_t],\,t\geq0)$, describing the motion of random clusters concerned with the turbulence. Then, the four velocity processes $(u(Z^i_t,t),\,t\geq0)$ are backward semi-martingales.
In this paper, a class of non-Markovian forward-backward doubly stochastic systems is studied. By using the technique of functional Itô (or path-dependent) calculus, the relationship between the systems and related path-dependent quasi-linear stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs in short) is established, and the well-known nonlinear stochastic Feynman-Kac formula of Pardoux and Peng [Backward doubly stochastic differential equations and systems of quasilinear SPDEs, Probab. Theory Relat. Fields 98 (1994), pp. 209--227] is developed to the non-Markovian situation. Moreover, we obtai…
We establish existence, uniqueness and regularity of solution results for a class of backward stochastic partial differential equations with singular terminal condition. The equation describes the value function of non-Markovian stochastic optimal control problem in which the terminal state of the controlled process is pre-specified. The analysis of such control problems is motivated by models of optimal portfolio liquidation.
This paper considers the problem of uniqueness of the solutions to a class of Markovian backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) which are also connected to certain nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) through a probabilistic representation. Assuming that there is a solution to the BSDE or to the corresponding PDE, we use the probabilistic interpretation to show the uniqueness of the solutions, and provide an example of a stochastic control application.
We study the backwards Markov chain for the Bak-Sneppen model of biological evolution and derive its corresponding reversibility equations. We show that, in contrast to the forwards Markov chain, the dynamics of the backwards chain explicitly involve the stationary distribution of the model, and from this we derive a functional equation that the stationary distribution must satisfy. We use this functional equation to derive differential equations for the stationary distribution of Bak-Sneppen models in which all but one or all but two of the fitnesses are replaced at each step. This gives a un…
This article continues our study of Markovian consistency and Markov copulae. In particular, we characterize the weak Markovian consistency for finite Markov chains. We discuss some aspects of dependence between the components of a multivariate Markov chain in the context of weak Markovian consistency and strong Markovian consistency. In this connection, we also introduce and discuss the concept of weak Markov copulae.
We consider the Markov chain approximations for singular stable-like processes. First we obtain properties of some Markov chains. Then we construct the approximating Markov chains and give a necessary condition for weak convergence of these chains to singular stable-like processes.
Given a strongly stationary Markov chain and a finite set of stopping rules, we prove the existence of a polynomial algorithm which projects the Markov chain onto a minimal Markov chain without redundant information. Markov complexity is hence defined and tested on some classical problems.
The extremes of a univariate Markov chain with regulary varying stationary marginal distribution and asymptotically linear behavior are known to exhibit a multiplicative random walk structure called the tail chain. In this paper, we extend this fact to Markov chains with multivariate regularly varying marginal distribution in R^d. We analyze both the forward and the backward tail process and show that they mutually determine each other through a kind of adjoint relation. In a broader setting, it will be seen that even for non-Markovian underlying processes a Markovian forward tail chain always…
We consider a class of continuous time Markov chains on $\Z^d$. These chains are the discrete space analogue of Markov processes with jumps. Under some conditions, we show that harmonic functions associated with these Markov chains are Hölder continuous.
We consider the higher-order Markov Chain, and characterize the second order Markov chains admitting every probability distribution vector as a stationary vector. The result is used to construct Markov chains of higher-order with the same property. We also study conditions under which the set of stationary vectors of the Markov chain has a certain affine dimension.
We define some approximation schemes for different kinds of generalized backward stochastic differential systems, considered in the Markovian framework. We propose a mixed approximation scheme for a decoupled system of forward reflected SDE and backward stochastic variational inequality. We use an Euler scheme type, combined with Yosida approximation techniques.
In this paper, by virtue of Malliavin calculus, we establish a relationship between backward doubly stochastic differential equations with random coefficients and quasilinear stochastic PDEs, and thus extend the well-known nonlinear stochastic Feynman-Kac formula of Pardoux and Peng [14] to non-Markovian case.
All one-condition generalized inverses of the Markovian kernel I - P, where P is the transition matrix of a finite irreducible Markov chain, can be uniquely specified in terms of the stationary probabilities and the mean first passage times of the underlying Markov chain. Special sub-families include the group inverse of I - P, Kemeny and Snell's fundamental matrix of the Markov chain and the Moore-Penrose g-inverse. The elements of some sub-families of the generalized inverses can also be re-expressed involving the second moments of the recurrence time variables. Some applications to Kemeny's…
The asymptotic variance is an important criterion to evaluate the performance of Markov chains, especially for the central limit theorems. We give the variational formulas for the asymptotic variance of discrete-time (non-reversible) Markov chains on general state space. The variational formulas provide many applications, extending the classical Peskun's comparison theorem to non-reversible Markov chains, and obtaining several comparison theorems between Markov chains with various perturbations.
In this paper we discuss weak convergence of continuous-time Markov chains to a non-symmetric pure jump process. We approach this problem using Dirichlet forms as well as semimartingales. As an application, we discuss how to approximate a given Markov process by Markov chains.
In this paper we continue the study of conditional Markov chains (CMCs) with finite state spaces, that we initiated in Bielecki, Jakubowski and Niewęgłowski (2015). Here, we turn our attention to the study of Markov consistency and Markov copulae with regard to CMCs, and thus we follow up on the study of Markov consistency and Markov copulae for ordinary Markov chains that we presented in Bielecki, Jakubowski and Niewęgłowski (2013).
We study inhomogeneous continuous-time weakly ergodic Markov chains with a finite state space. We introduce the notion of a Markov chain with the regular structure of an infinitesimal matrix and study the sharp upper bounds on the rate of convergence for such class of Markov chains.
In this paper, we present reversibility preserving operations on Markov chain transition matrices. Simple row and column operations allow us to create new reversible transition matrices and yield an easy method for checking a Markov chain for reversibility.
The main purpose of this work is to study self-similar branching Markov chains. First we will construct such a process. Then we will establish certain Limit Theorems using the theory of self-similar Markov processes.
In this paper, we consider the Cauchy problem of semi-linear degenerate backward stochastic partial differential equations (BSPDEs in short) under general settings without technical assumptions on the coefficients. For the solution of semi-linear degenerate BSPDE, we first give a proof for its existence and uniqueness, as well as regularity. Then the connection between semi-linear degenerate BSPDEs and forward backward stochastic differential equations (FBSDEs in short) is established, which can be regarded as an extension of Feynman-Kac formula to non-Markov frame.
We prove that an irreducible aperiodic Markov chain is geometrically ergodic if and only if any separately bounded functional of the stationary chain satisfies an appropriate subgaussian deviation inequality from its mean.
This paper studies the augmented truncation of discrete-time block-monotone Markov chains under geometric drift conditions. We first present a bound for the total variation distance between the stationary distributions of an original Markov chain and its augmented truncation. We also obtain such error bounds for more general cases where an original Markov chain itself may not be block-monotone but is block-wise dominated by a block-monotone Markov chain. Finally we discuss the application of our results to GI/G/1-type Markov chains.
The connection between forward backward doubly stochastic differential equations and the optimal filtering problem is established without using the Zakai's equation. The solutions of forward backward doubly stochastic differential equations are expressed in terms of conditional law of a partially observed Markov diffusion process. It then follows that the adjoint time-inverse forward backward doubly stochastic differential equations governs the evolution of the unnormalized filtering density in the optimal filtering problem.
Extensions of Kemeny's constant, as derived for irreducible finite Markov chains in discrete time, to Markov renewal processes and Markov chains in continuous time are discussed. Three alternative Kemeny's functions and their variants are considered. Typically, they lead to a constant if and only if the mean holding times between the states in the Markov renewal process are constant. However one particular variant leads to a constant, analogous to the discrete time Markov chain result. Specifically, if the state space is finite, the weighted sum of the mean first passage times (omitting the me…
We consider the problem of characterising expected hitting times and hitting probabilities for imprecise Markov chains. To this end, we consider three distinct ways in which imprecise Markov chains have been defined in the literature: as sets of homogeneous Markov chains, as sets of more general stochastic processes, and as game-theoretic probability models. Our first contribution is that all these different types of imprecise Markov chains have the same lower and upper expected hitting times, and similarly the hitting probabilities are the same for these three types. Moreover, we provide a ch…
We consider periodic Markov chains with absorption. Applying to iterates of this periodic Markov chain criteria for the exponential convergence of conditional distributions of aperiodic absorbed Markov chains, we obtain exponential estimates for the periodic asymptotic behavior of the semigroup of the Markov chain. This implies in particular the exponential convergence in total variation of the conditional distribution of the Markov chain given non-absorption to a periodic sequence of limit measures and we characterize the cases where this sequence is constant, which corresponds to the cases w…
We study an approximation method of stationary characters of a two-dimensional Markov chain via the Stein method. For this purpose, innovative methods are developed to estimate the moments of the Markov chain, as well as the solution to the Poisson equation with a partial differential operator.
Let $(ξ_n)_{n=0}^\infty$ be a nonhomogeneous Markov chain taking values from finite state-space of $\mathbf{X}=\{1,2,\ldots,b\}$. In this paper, we will study the generalized entropy ergodic theorem with almost-everywhere and $\mathcal{L}_1$ convergence for nonhomogeneous Markov chains, which generalizes the corresponding classical results for the Markov chains.
In this paper, we quantify some known approximation to the Curie-Weiss model via applying the Stein method to the Markov chain whose stationary distribution coincides with Curie-Weiss model.
We are interested in studying the sensitivity of diffusion processes or their approximations by Markov Chains with respect to a perturbation of the coefficients.
Starting from a Markov chain with a finite alphabet, we consider the chain obtained when all but one symbol are undistinguishable for the practitioner. We study necessary and sufficient conditions for this chain to have continuous transition probabilities with respect to the past.
Improved rates of convergence for ergodic Markov chains and relaxed conditions for them, as well as analogous convergence results for some non-homogeneous Markov chains are studied. The setting from the previous works is extended. Examples are provided where the new bounds are better and where they give the same convergence rate as in the classical Markov -- Dobrushin inequality.
In this paper we study the almost sure central limit theorem started from a point for additive functionals of a stationary and ergodic Markov chain via a martingale approximation in the almost sure sense. As a consequence we derive the quenched CLT for additive functionals or reversible Markov chains.
This is the story of the encounter between two worlds: the world of random walks and the world of Variable Length Markov Chains (VLMC). The meeting point turns around the semi-Markov property of underlying processes.
In this paper we are concerned with hitting times of a family of density-dependent Markov chains. A moderate deviation principle of the hitting time is given. The proof of the main theorem relies heavily on moderate deviations of density-dependent Markov chains given in \cite{Xue2021} and upper bounds of large deviations of Markov processes given in \cite{Dupuis1991}. An analogue moderate deviation of the hitting time of the diffusion approximation of the density-dependent Markov chain introduced in \cite{Ethier1986} is also given.
We consider a time-homogeneous Markov chain $X_n$, $n\ge0$, valued in ${\bf R}$. Suppose that this chain is transient, that is, $X_n$ generates a $σ$-finite renewal measure. We prove the key renewal theorem under condition that this chain has asymptotically homogeneous at infinity jumps and asymptotically positive drift.