Festschrift Masatoshi Fukushima: In Honor Of Masatoshi Fukushima's Sanju


Book Description

This book contains original research papers by leading experts in the fields of probability theory, stochastic analysis, potential theory and mathematical physics. There is also a historical account on Masatoshi Fukushima's contribution to mathematics, as well as authoritative surveys on the state of the art in the field.




Stochastic and Infinite Dimensional Analysis


Book Description

This volume presents a collection of papers covering applications from a wide range of systems with infinitely many degrees of freedom studied using techniques from stochastic and infinite dimensional analysis, e.g. Feynman path integrals, the statistical mechanics of polymer chains, complex networks, and quantum field theory. Systems of infinitely many degrees of freedom create their particular mathematical challenges which have been addressed by different mathematical theories, namely in the theories of stochastic processes, Malliavin calculus, and especially white noise analysis. These proceedings are inspired by a conference held on the occasion of Prof. Ludwig Streit’s 75th birthday and celebrate his pioneering and ongoing work in these fields.




Symmetric Markov Processes, Time Change, and Boundary Theory (LMS-35)


Book Description

This book gives a comprehensive and self-contained introduction to the theory of symmetric Markov processes and symmetric quasi-regular Dirichlet forms. In a detailed and accessible manner, Zhen-Qing Chen and Masatoshi Fukushima cover the essential elements and applications of the theory of symmetric Markov processes, including recurrence/transience criteria, probabilistic potential theory, additive functional theory, and time change theory. The authors develop the theory in a general framework of symmetric quasi-regular Dirichlet forms in a unified manner with that of regular Dirichlet forms, emphasizing the role of extended Dirichlet spaces and the rich interplay between the probabilistic and analytic aspects of the theory. Chen and Fukushima then address the latest advances in the theory, presented here for the first time in any book. Topics include the characterization of time-changed Markov processes in terms of Douglas integrals and a systematic account of reflected Dirichlet spaces, and the important roles such advances play in the boundary theory of symmetric Markov processes. This volume is an ideal resource for researchers and practitioners, and can also serve as a textbook for advanced graduate students. It includes examples, appendixes, and exercises with solutions.




Dirichlet Forms and Symmetric Markov Processes


Book Description

Since the publication of the first edition in 1994, this book has attracted constant interests from readers and is by now regarded as a standard reference for the theory of Dirichlet forms. For the present second edition, the authors not only revise




Random Walk and the Heat Equation


Book Description

The heat equation can be derived by averaging over a very large number of particles. Traditionally, the resulting PDE is studied as a deterministic equation, an approach that has brought many significant results and a deep understanding of the equation and its solutions. By studying the heat equation and considering the individual random particles, however, one gains further intuition into the problem. While this is now standard for many researchers, this approach is generally not presented at the undergraduate level. In this book, Lawler introduces the heat equations and the closely related notion of harmonic functions from a probabilistic perspective. The theme of the first two chapters of the book is the relationship between random walks and the heat equation. This first chapter discusses the discrete case, random walk and the heat equation on the integer lattice; and the second chapter discusses the continuous case, Brownian motion and the usual heat equation. Relationships are shown between the two. For example, solving the heat equation in the discrete setting becomes a problem of diagonalization of symmetric matrices, which becomes a problem in Fourier series in the continuous case. Random walk and Brownian motion are introduced and developed from first principles. The latter two chapters discuss different topics: martingales and fractal dimension, with the chapters tied together by one example, a random Cantor set. The idea of this book is to merge probabilistic and deterministic approaches to heat flow. It is also intended as a bridge from undergraduate analysis to graduate and research perspectives. The book is suitable for advanced undergraduates, particularly those considering graduate work in mathematics or related areas.







Applied Stochastic Control of Jump Diffusions


Book Description

Here is a rigorous introduction to the most important and useful solution methods of various types of stochastic control problems for jump diffusions and its applications. Discussion includes the dynamic programming method and the maximum principle method, and their relationship. The text emphasises real-world applications, primarily in finance. Results are illustrated by examples, with end-of-chapter exercises including complete solutions. The 2nd edition adds a chapter on optimal control of stochastic partial differential equations driven by Lévy processes, and a new section on optimal stopping with delayed information. Basic knowledge of stochastic analysis, measure theory and partial differential equations is assumed.




Stochastic Analysis and Applications 2014


Book Description

Articles from many of the main contributors to recent progress in stochastic analysis are included in this volume, which provides a snapshot of the current state of the area and its ongoing developments. It constitutes the proceedings of the conference on "Stochastic Analysis and Applications" held at the University of Oxford and the Oxford-Man Institute during 23-27 September, 2013. The conference honored the 60th birthday of Professor Terry Lyons FLSW FRSE FRS, Wallis Professor of Mathematics, University of Oxford. Terry Lyons is one of the leaders in the field of stochastic analysis. His introduction of the notion of rough paths has revolutionized the field, both in theory and in practice. Stochastic Analysis is the branch of mathematics that deals with the analysis of dynamical systems affected by noise. It emerged as a core area of mathematics in the late 20th century and has subsequently developed into an important theory with a wide range of powerful and novel tools, and with impressive applications within and beyond mathematics. Many systems are profoundly affected by stochastic fluctuations and it is not surprising that the array of applications of Stochastic Analysis is vast and touches on many aspects of life. The present volume is intended for researchers and Ph.D. students in stochastic analysis and its applications, stochastic optimization and financial mathematics, as well as financial engineers and quantitative analysts.




Optimal Control and Partial Differential Equations


Book Description

This volume contains more than sixty invited papers of international wellknown scientists in the fields where Alain Bensoussan's contributions have been particularly important: filtering and control of stochastic systems, variationnal problems, applications to economy and finance, numerical analysis... In particular, the extended texts of the lectures of Professors Jens Frehse, Hitashi Ishii, Jacques-Louis Lions, Sanjoy Mitter, Umberto Mosco, Bernt Oksendal, George Papanicolaou, A. Shiryaev, given in the Conference held in Paris on December 4th, 2000 in honor of Professor Alain Bensoussan are included.




Intersections of Random Walks


Book Description

A central study in Probability Theory is the behavior of fluctuation phenomena of partial sums of different types of random variable. One of the most useful concepts for this purpose is that of the random walk which has applications in many areas, particularly in statistical physics and statistical chemistry. Originally published in 1991, Intersections of Random Walks focuses on and explores a number of problems dealing primarily with the nonintersection of random walks and the self-avoiding walk. Many of these problems arise in studying statistical physics and other critical phenomena. Topics include: discrete harmonic measure, including an introduction to diffusion limited aggregation (DLA); the probability that independent random walks do not intersect; and properties of walks without self-intersections. The present softcover reprint includes corrections and addenda from the 1996 printing, and makes this classic monograph available to a wider audience. With a self-contained introduction to the properties of simple random walks, and an emphasis on rigorous results, the book will be useful to researchers in probability and statistical physics and to graduate students interested in basic properties of random walks.