Most of the natural and biological phenomena such as solute transport in porous media exhibit variability which can not be modeled by using deterministic approaches. There is evidence in natural phenomena to suggest that some of the observations can not be explained by using the models which give deterministic solutions. Stochastic processes have a rich repository of objects which can be used to express the randomness inherent in the system and the evolution of the system over time. The attractiveness of the stochastic differential equations (SDE) and stochastic partial differential equations (SPDE) come from the fact that we can integrate the variability of the system along with the scientific knowledge pertaining to the system. One of the aims of this book is to explaim some useufl concepts in stochastic dynamics so that the scientists and engineers with a background in undergraduate differential calculus could appreciate the applicability and appropriateness of these developments in mathematics. The ideas are explained in an intuitive manner wherever possible with out compromising rigor.
The solute transport problem in porous media saturated with water had been used as a natural setting to discuss the approaches based on stochastic dynamics. The work is also motivated by the need to have more sophisticated mathematical and computational frameworks to model the variability one encounters in natural and industrial systems. This book presents the ideas, models and computational solutions pertaining to a single problem: stochastic flow of contaminant transport in the saturated porous media such as that we find in underground aquifers. In attempting to solve this problem using stochastic concepts, different ideas and new concepts have been explored, and mathematical and computational frameworks have been developed in the process. Some of these concepts, arguments and mathematical and computational constructs are discussed in an intuititve manner in this book.

This textbook explores probability and stochastic processes at a level that does not require any prior knowledge except basic calculus. It presents the fundamental concepts in a step-by-step manner, and offers remarks and warnings for deeper insights. The chapters include basic examples, which are revisited as the new concepts are introduced. To aid learning, figures and diagrams are used to help readers grasp the concepts, and the solutions to the exercises and problems. Further, a table format is also used where relevant for better comparison of the ideas and formulae. The first part of the book introduces readers to the essentials of probability, including combinatorial analysis, conditional probability, and discrete and continuous random variable. The second part then covers fundamental stochastic processes, including point, counting, renewal and regenerative processes, the Poisson process, Markov chains, queuing models and reliability theory. Primarily intended for undergraduate engineering students, it is also useful for graduate-level students wanting to refresh their knowledge of the basics of probability and stochastic processes.

Fractional Brownian Motion (FBM) is a very classical continuous self-similar Gaussian field with stationary increments. In 1940, some works of Kolmogorov on turbulence led him to introduce this quite natural extension of Brownian Motion, which, in contrast with the latter, has correlated increments. However, the denomination FBM is due to a very famous article by Mandelbrot and Van Ness, published in 1968. Not only in it, but also in several of his following works, Mandelbrot emphasized the importance of FBM as a model in several applied areas, and thus he made it to be known by a wide community. Therefore, FBM has been studied by many authors, and used in a lot of applications.In spite of the fact that FBM is a very useful model, it does not always fit to real data. This is the reason why, for at least two decades, there has been an increasing interest in the construction of new classes of random models extending it, which offer more flexibility. A paradigmatic example of them is the class of Multifractional Fields. Multifractional means that fractal properties of models, typically, roughness of paths and self-similarity of probability distributions, are locally allowed to change from place to place.In order to sharply determine path behavior of Multifractional Fields, a wavelet strategy, which can be considered to be new in the probabilistic framework, has been developed since the end of the 90's. It is somehow inspired by some rather non-standard methods, related to the fine study of Brownian Motion roughness, through its representation in the Faber-Schauder system. The main goal of the book is to present the motivations behind this wavelet strategy, and to explain how it can be applied to some classical examples of Multifractional Fields. The book also discusses some topics concerning them which are not directly related to the wavelet strategy.

Since the pioneering work of Black, Scholes, and Merton in the field of financial mathematics, research has led to the rapid development of a substantial body of knowledge, with plenty of applications to the common functioning of the world 's financial institutions.

Mathematics, as the language of science, has always played a role in the development of knowledge and technology. Presently, the high-tech character of modern business has increased the need for advanced methods, which rely to a large extent on mathematical techniques. It has become essential for the financial analyst to possess a high degree of proficiency in these mathematical techniques.

Praise for THE SECOND EDITION

"A valuable contribution . . . rigorous and carefully thought out."
–Zeitschrift fur Operations Research

A state-of-the-art text on stochastic models and their applications

Much has changed in the field of stochastic modeling since the highly successful Second Edition of this popular text. In response, the authors have significantly revised their book to deliver a thoroughly up-to-date overview of the field.

This Third Edition of Elements of Applied Stochastic Processes provides a basic understanding of the fundamental theory of stochastic processes. Topics include Markov chains, and Markov, branching, renewal, and stationary processes, all of which are illustrated with the rich diversity of actual applications. Restructured to enhance the book’s usefulness for practicing professionals, students, and instructors, this edition features two chapters dedicated entirely to applications from journal articles and new material on statistical inference for stochastic processes, with inference on queues as an area of application. Also new is a chapter on simulation and Markov Chain Monte Carlo.

This updated new edition:

• Retains the bridge between theory and application while improving teachability
• Integrates a broad set of applications into the text
• Provides expanded coverage on statistical inference for stochastic processes
• Utilizes a wealth of examples from research papers and monographs
• Offers a comprehensive introduction to stationary processes and time series analysis

There has been extensive research in the past twenty years devoted to a better understanding of the stable and other closely related infinitely divisible models. The late Professor Stamatis Cambanis, a distinguished educator and researcher, played a special leadership role in the development of these fields from the early seventies until his untimely death in April 1995. This commemorative volume honoring Stamatis Cambanis consists of a collection of research articles devoted to review the state of the art in rapidly developing research areas in Stochastic Processes and to explore new directions of research. The volume is a tribute to the life and work of Stamatis by his students, friends, and colleagues whose personal and professional lives he deeply touched through his generous insights and dedication to his profession.

Random processes are one of the most powerful tools in the study and understanding of countless phenomena in natural and social sciences.The book is a complete medium-level introduction to the subject. The book is written in a clear and pedagogical manner but with enough rigor and scope that can appeal to both students and researchers.This book is addressed to advanced students and professional researchers in many branches of science where level crossings and extremes appear but with some particular emphasis on some applications in socio-economic systems.

This book introduces the reader to Six Sigma, a problem-solving technique for reducing defects and variation in processes. The author uses DMAIC phases (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) and a data-centric approach, leveraging applied statistics with Minitab (R). Readers are enabled to solve novel problems where there isn't an apparent root cause or solution identified. The author walks readers through an (imaginary) case study, explaining both the DMAIC approach and how to use Minitab in a practical way. The presentation includes data sets and instructions on how to analyze data in the context of Six Sigma using Minitab.

The book is devoted to limit theorems for nonconventional sums and arrays. Asymptotic behavior of such sums were first studied in ergodic theory but recently it turned out that main limit theorems of probability theory, such as central, local and Poisson limit theorems can also be obtained for such expressions. In order to obtain sufficiently general local limit theorem, we develop also thermodynamic formalism type results for random complex operators, which is one of the novelties of the book.

The mathematical implications of personal beliefs and values in science and commerce
Amid a worldwide resurgence of interest in subjectivist statistical method, this book offers a fresh look at the role of personal judgments in statistical analysis. Frank Lad demonstrates how philosophical attention to meaning provides a sensible assessment of the prospects and procedures of empirical inferential learning.
Operational Subjective Statistical Methods offers a systematic investigation of Bruno de Finetti's theory of probability and logic of uncertainty, which recognizes probability as the measure of personal uncertainty at the heart of its mathematical presentation. It identifies de Finetti's "fundamental theorem of coherent provision" as the unifying structure of probabilistic logic, and highlights the judgment of exchangeability rather than causal independence as the key probabilistic component of statistical inference.
Broad in scope, yet firmly grounded in mathematical detail, this text/reference
Invites readers to address the subjective personalist meaning of probability as motivating the mathematical construction
* Contains numerous examples and problems, including computing problems using Matlab, assuming no background in Matlab
* Explains how to use the material in three distinct sequential courses in math and statistics, as well as in courses at the graduate level in applied fields
* Provides an introductory basis for understanding more complex structures of statistical analysis

Complete with fifty illustrations, Operational Subjective Statistical Methods makes an intriguing discipline accessible to professionals, students, and the interested general reader. It contains a wealth of teaching and research material, and offers profound insight into the relationship between philosophy, faith, and scientific method.

We introduce the theory of chemical reaction networks and their relation to stochastic Petri nets - important ways of modeling population biology and many other fields. We explain how techniques from quantum mechanics can be used to study these models. This relies on a profound and still mysterious analogy between quantum theory and probability theory, which we explore in detail. We also give a tour of key results concerning chemical reaction networks and Petri nets.

The book provides a self-contained treatment of stochastic finite element methods. It helps the reader to establish a solid background on stochastic and reliability analysis of structural systems and enables practicing engineers to better manage the concepts of analysis and design in the presence of uncertainty. The book covers the basic topics of computational stochastic mechanics focusing on the stochastic analysis of structural systems in the framework of the finite element method. The target audience primarily comprises students in a postgraduate program specializing in structural engineering but the book may also be beneficial to practicing engineers and research experts alike.

This unique two-volume set presents the subjects of stochastic processes, information theory, and Lie groups in a unified setting, thereby building bridges between fields that are rarely studied by the same people. Unlike the many excellent formal treatments available for each of these subjects individually, the emphasis in both of these volumes is on the use of stochastic, geometric, and group-theoretic concepts in the modeling of physical phenomena.

Stochastic Models, Information Theory, and Lie Groups will be of interest to advanced undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and practitioners working in applied mathematics, the physical sciences, and engineering. Extensive exercises, motivating examples, and real-world applicationsmake the work suitable as a textbook for use in courses that emphasize applied stochastic processes or differential geometry."

This book highlights the latest advances in stochastic processes, probability theory, mathematical statistics, engineering mathematics and algebraic structures, focusing on mathematical models, structures, concepts, problems and computational methods and algorithms important in modern technology, engineering and natural sciences applications. It comprises selected, high-quality, refereed contributions from various large research communities in modern stochastic processes, algebraic structures and their interplay and applications. The chapters cover both theory and applications, illustrated by numerous figures, schemes, algorithms, tables and research results to help readers understand the material and develop new mathematical methods, concepts and computing applications in the future. Presenting new methods and results, reviews of cutting-edge research, and open problems and directions for future research, the book serves as a source of inspiration for a broad spectrum of researchers and research students in probability theory and mathematical statistics, applied algebraic structures, applied mathematics and other areas of mathematics and applications of mathematics. The book is based on selected contributions presented at the International Conference on "Stochastic Processes and Algebraic Structures - From Theory Towards Applications" (SPAS2017) to mark Professor Dmitrii Silvestrov's 70th birthday and his 50 years of fruitful service to mathematics, education and international cooperation, which was held at Malardalen University in Vasteras and Stockholm University, Sweden, in October 2017.

One of the most challenging subjects of stochastic analysis in relation to physics is the analysis of heat kernels on infinite dimensional manifolds. The simplest nontrivial case is that of thepath and loop space on a Lie group. In this volume an up-to-date survey of the topic is given by Leonard Gross, a prominent developer of the theory. Another concise but complete survey of Hausdorff measures on Wiener space and its applications to Malliavin Calculus is given by D. Feyel, one of the most active specialists in this area. Other survey articles deal with short-time asymptotics of diffusion pro cesses with values in infinite dimensional manifolds and large deviations of diffusions with discontinuous drifts. A thorough survey is given of stochas tic integration with respect to the fractional Brownian motion, as well as Stokes' formula for the Brownian sheet, and a new version of the log Sobolev inequality on the Wiener space. Professional mathematicians looking for an overview of the state-of-the art in the above subjects will find this book helpful. In addition, graduate students as well as researchers whose domain requires stochastic analysis will find the original results of interest for their own research. The organizers acknowledge gratefully the financial help ofthe University of Oslo, and the invaluable aid of Professor Bernt 0ksendal and l'Ecole Nationale Superieure des Telecommunications."

This book is devoted to the qualitative study of solutions of superlinear elliptic and parabolic partial differential equations and systems. This class of problems contains, in particular, a number of reaction-diffusion systems which arise in various mathematical models, especially in chemistry, physics and biology. The first two chapters introduce to the field and enable the reader to get acquainted with the main ideas by studying simple model problems, respectively of elliptic and parabolic type. The subsequent three chapters are devoted to problems with more complex structure; namely, elliptic and parabolic systems, equations with gradient depending nonlinearities, and nonlocal equations. They include many developments which reflect several aspects of current research. Although the techniques introduced in the first two chapters provide efficient tools to attack some aspects of these problems, they often display new phenomena and specifically different behaviors, whose study requires new ideas. Many open problems are mentioned and commented. The book is self-contained and up-to-date, it has a high didactic quality. It is devoted to problems that are intensively studied but have not been treated so far in depth in the book literature. The intended audience includes graduate and postgraduate students and researchers working in the field of partial differential equations and applied mathematics. The first edition of this book has become one of the standard references in the field. This second edition provides a revised text and contains a number of updates reflecting significant recent advances that have appeared in this growing field since the first edition.

The intensive exchange between mathematicians and users has led in recent years to a rapid development of stochastic analysis. Of the users, the physicists form perhaps the most important group, giving direction to the mathematicians' research and providing a source of intuition. White noise analysis has emerged as a viable framework for stochastic and infinite dimensional analysis. Another growth area is the theory of stochastic partial differential equations. Gauge field theories are attracting increasing attention. Dirichlet forms provide a fruitful link between the mathematics of Markov processes and the physics of quantum systems. The deterministic-stochastic interface is addressed, as are Euclidean quantum mechanics, excursions of diffusions and the convergence of Markov chains to thermal states.

Eugene B. Dynkin published his first paper, on Markov chain theory, whilst still an undergraduate student at Moscow State University. He went on to make fundamental contributions to the theory of Markov processes and to Lie groups, generating entire schools in these areas. This volume features original mathematical papers, written to honour E.B. Dynkin's 70th birthday. It contains papers dealing with problems in stochastic analysis, probability theory and mathematical physics.

'The book remains a valuable tool both for statisticians who are already familiar with the theory of copulas and just need to develop sampling algorithms, and for practitioners who want to learn copulas and implement the simulation techniques needed to exploit the potential of copulas in applications.'Mathematical ReviewsThe book provides the background on simulating copulas and multivariate distributions in general. It unifies the scattered literature on the simulation of various families of copulas (elliptical, Archimedean, Marshall-Olkin type, etc.) as well as on different construction principles (factor models, pair-copula construction, etc.). The book is self-contained and unified in presentation and can be used as a textbook for graduate and advanced undergraduate students with a firm background in stochastics. Besides the theoretical foundation, ready-to-implement algorithms and many examples make the book a valuable tool for anyone who is applying the methodology.

Inequalities and Extremal Problems in Probability and Statistics: Selected Topics presents various kinds of useful inequalities that are applicable in many areas of mathematics, the sciences, and engineering. The book enables the reader to grasp the importance of inequalities and how they relate to probability and statistics. This will be an extremely useful book for researchers and graduate students in probability, statistics, and econometrics, as well as specialists working across sciences, engineering, financial mathematics, insurance, and mathematical modeling of large risks.

Flow of ions through voltage gated channels can be represented theoretically using stochastic differential equations where the gating mechanism is represented by a Markov model. The flow through a channel can be manipulated using various drugs, and the effect of a given drug can be reflected by changing the Markov model. These lecture notes provide an accessible introduction to the mathematical methods needed to deal with these models. They emphasize the use of numerical methods and provide sufficient details for the reader to implement the models and thereby study the effect of various drugs. Examples in the text include stochastic calcium release from internal storage systems in cells, as well as stochastic models of the transmembrane potential. Well known Markov models are studied and a systematic approach to including the effect of mutations is presented. Lastly, the book shows how to derive the optimal properties of a theoretical model of a drug for a given mutation defined in terms of a Markov model.

Why should we use white noise analysis? Well, one reason of course is that it fills that earlier gap in the tool kit. As Hida would put it, white noise provides us with a useful set of independent coordinates, parametrized by 'time'. And there is a feature which makes white noise analysis extremely user-friendly. Typically the physicist - and not only he - sits there with some heuristic ansatz, like e.g. the famous Feynman 'integral', wondering whether and how this might make sense mathematically. In many cases the characterization theorem of white noise analysis provides the user with a sweet and easy answer. Feynman's 'integral' can now be understood, the 'It's all in the vacuum' ansatz of Haag and Coester is now making sense via Dirichlet forms, and so on in many fields of application. There is mathematical finance, there have been applications in biology, and engineering, many more than we could collect in the present volume.Finally, there is one extra benefit: when we internalize the structures of Gaussian white noise analysis we will be ready to meet another close relative. We will enjoy the important similarities and differences which we encounter in the Poisson case, championed in particular by Y Kondratiev and his group. Let us look forward to a companion volume on the uses of Poisson white noise.The present volume is more than a collection of autonomous contributions. The introductory chapter on white noise analysis was made available to the other authors early on for reference and to facilitate conceptual and notational coherence in their work.

This volume provides a general overview of discrete- and continuous-time Markov control processes and stochastic games, along with a look at the range of applications of stochastic control and some of its recent theoretical developments. These topics include various aspects of dynamic programming, approximation algorithms, and infinite-dimensional linear programming. In all, the work comprises 18 carefully selected papers written by experts in their respective fields. Optimization, Control, and Applications of Stochastic Systems will be a valuable resource for all practitioners, researchers, and professionals in applied mathematics and operations research who work in the areas of stochastic control, mathematical finance, queueing theory, and inventory systems. It may also serve as a supplemental text for graduate courses in optimal control and dynamic games.

Self-similar processes are stochastic processes that are invariant in distribution under suitable time scaling, and are a subject intensively studied in the last few decades. This book presents the basic properties of these processes and focuses on the study of their variation using stochastic analysis. While self-similar processes, and especially fractional Brownian motion, have been discussed in several books, some new classes have recently emerged in the scientific literature. Some of them are extensions of fractional Brownian motion (bifractional Brownian motion, subtractional Brownian motion, Hermite processes), while others are solutions to the partial differential equations driven by fractional noises.

In this monograph the author discusses the basic properties of these new classes of self-similar processes and their interrelationship. At the same time a new approach (based on stochastic calculus, especially Malliavin calculus) to studying the behavior of the variations of self-similar processes has been developed over the last decade. This work surveys these recent techniques and findings on limit theorems and Malliavin calculus. "

Statistical methods are becoming more important in all biological fields of study. Biometry deals with the application of mathematical techniques to the quantitative study of varying characteristics of organisms, populations, species, etc. This book uses examples based on genuine data carefully chosen by the author for their special biological significance. The chapters cover a broad spectrum of topics and bridge the gap between introductory biological statistics and advanced approaches such as multivariate techniques and nonlinear models. A set of statistical tables most frequently used in biometry completes the book.