Stochastic resonance has been observed in many forms of systems, and has been hotly debated by scientists for over 30 years. Applications incorporating aspects of stochastic resonance may yet prove revolutionary in fields such as distributed sensor networks, nano-electronics, and biomedical prosthetics. Ideal for researchers in fields ranging from computational neuroscience through to electronic engineering, this book addresses in detail various theoretical aspects of stochastic quantization, in the context of the suprathreshold stochastic resonance effect. Initial chapters review stochastic resonance and outline some of the controversies and debates that have surrounded it. The book then discusses suprathreshold stochastic resonance, and its extension to more general models of stochastic signal quantization. Finally, it considers various constraints and tradeoffs in the performance of stochastic quantizers, before culminating with a chapter in the application of suprathreshold stochastic resonance to the design of cochlear implants.

This simple, compact toolkit for designing and analyzing stochastic approximation algorithms requires only basic literacy in probability and differential equations. Yet these algorithms have powerful applications in control and communications engineering, artificial intelligence and economic modelling. The dynamical systems viewpoint treats an algorithm as a noisy discretization of a limiting differential equation and argues that, under reasonable hypotheses, it tracks the asymptotic behaviour of the differential equation with probability one. The differential equation, which can usually be obtained by inspection, is easier to analyze. Novel topics include finite-time behaviour, multiple timescales and asynchronous implementation. There is a useful taxonomy of applications, with concrete examples from engineering and economics. Notably it covers variants of stochastic gradient-based optimization schemes, fixed-point solvers, which are commonplace in learning algorithms for approximate dynamic programming, and some models of collective behaviour. Three appendices give background on differential equations and probability.

In this book, Professor Pinsky gives a self-contained account of the theory of positive harmonic functions for second order elliptic operators, using an integrated probabilistic and analytic approach. The book begins with a treatment of the construction and basic properties of diffusion processes. This theory then serves as a vehicle for studying positive harmonic funtions. Starting with a rigorous treatment of the spectral theory of elliptic operators with nice coefficients on smooth, bounded domains, the author then develops the theory of the generalized principal eigenvalue, and the related criticality theory for elliptic operators on arbitrary domains. Martin boundary theory is considered, and the Martin boundary is explicitly calculated for several classes of operators. The book provides an array of criteria for determining whether a diffusion process is transient or recurrent. Also introduced are the theory of bounded harmonic functions, and Brownian motion on manifolds of negative curvature. Many results that form the folklore of the subject are here given a rigorous exposition, making this book a useful reference for the specialist, and an excellent guide for the graduate student.

Targeted at graduate students, researchers and practitioners in the field of science and engineering, this book gives a self-contained introduction to a measure-theoretic framework in laying out the definitions and basic concepts of random variables and stochastic diffusion processes. It then continues to weave into a framework of several practical tools and applications involving stochastic dynamical systems. These include tools for the numerical integration of such dynamical systems, nonlinear stochastic filtering and generalized Bayesian update theories for solving inverse problems and a new stochastic search technique for treating a broad class of non-convex optimization problems. MATLAB (R) codes for all the applications are uploaded on the companion website.

Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in stochastic partial differential equations where the driving noise is discontinuous. In this comprehensive monograph, two leading experts detail the evolution equation approach to their solution. Most of the results appear here for the first time in book form, and the volume is sure to stimulate further research in this important field. The authors start with a detailed analysis of Levy processes in infinite dimensions and their reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces; cylindrical Levy processes are constructed in terms of Poisson random measures; stochastic integrals are introduced. Stochastic parabolic and hyperbolic equations on domains of arbitrary dimensions are studied, and applications to statistical and fluid mechanics and to finance are also investigated. Ideal for researchers and graduate students in stochastic processes and partial differential equations, this self-contained text will also interest those working on stochastic modeling in finance, statistical physics and environmental science.

First-passage properties underlie a wide range of stochastic processes, such as diffusion-limited growth, neuron firing and the triggering of stock options. This book provides a unified presentation of first-passage processes, which highlights its interrelations with electrostatics and the resulting powerful consequences. The author begins with a presentation of fundamental theory including the connection between the occupation and first-passage probabilities of a random walk, and the connection to electrostatics and current flows in resistor networks. The consequences of this theory are then developed for simple, illustrative geometries including the finite and semi-infinite intervals, fractal networks, spherical geometries and the wedge. Various applications are presented including neuron dynamics, self-organized criticality, diffusion-limited aggregation, the dynamics of spin systems and the kinetics of diffusion-controlled reactions. First-passage processes provide an appealing way for graduate students and researchers in physics, chemistry, theoretical biology, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, operations research and finance to understand all of these systems.

Stochastic differential equations are differential equations whose solutions are stochastic processes. They exhibit appealing mathematical properties that are useful in modeling uncertainties and noisy phenomena in many disciplines. This book is motivated by applications of stochastic differential equations in target tracking and medical technology and, in particular, their use in methodologies such as filtering, smoothing, parameter estimation, and machine learning. It builds an intuitive hands-on understanding of what stochastic differential equations are all about, but also covers the essentials of Ito calculus, the central theorems in the field, and such approximation schemes as stochastic Runge-Kutta. Greater emphasis is given to solution methods than to analysis of theoretical properties of the equations. The book's practical approach assumes only prior understanding of ordinary differential equations. The numerous worked examples and end-of-chapter exercises include application-driven derivations and computational assignments. MATLAB/Octave source code is available for download, promoting hands-on work with the methods.

The Wiley-Interscience Paperback Series consists of selected books that have been made more accessible to consumers in an effort to increase global appeal and general circulation. With these new unabridged softcover volumes, Wiley hopes to extend the lives of these works by making them available to future generations of statisticians, mathematicians, and scientists.

"[A]nyone who works with Markov processes whose state space is uncountably infinite will need this most impressive book as a guide and reference."
--American Scientist

"There is no question but that space should immediately be reserved for [this] book on the library shelf. Those who aspire to mastery of the contents should also reserve a large number of long winter evenings."
--Zentralblatt fur Mathematik und ihre Grenzgebiete/Mathematics Abstracts

"Ethier and Kurtz have produced an excellent treatment of the modern theory of Markov processes that [is] useful both as a reference work and as a graduate textbook."
--Journal of Statistical Physics

Markov Processes presents several different approaches to proving weak approximation theorems for Markov processes, emphasizing the interplay of methods of characterization and approximation. Martingale problems for general Markov processes are systematically developed for the first time in book form. Useful to the professional as a reference and suitable for the graduate student as a text, this volume features a table of the interdependencies among the theorems, an extensive bibliography, and end-of-chapter problems.

This book was first published in 2004. Many observed phenomena, from the changing health of a patient to values on the stock market, are characterised by quantities that vary over time: stochastic processes are designed to study them. This book introduces practical methods of applying stochastic processes to an audience knowledgeable only in basic statistics. It covers almost all aspects of the subject and presents the theory in an easily accessible form that is highlighted by application to many examples. These examples arise from dozens of areas, from sociology through medicine to engineering. Complementing these are exercise sets making the book suited for introductory courses in stochastic processes. Software (available from www.cambridge.org) is provided for the freely available R system for the reader to apply to all the models presented.

Stochastic approximation is a relatively new technique for studying the properties of an experimental situation; it has important applications in fields such as medicine and engineering. The subject can be treated either largely as a branch of pure mathematics, or else from an empirical and practical angle. In this book, Dr Wasan gives a rigorous mathematical treatment of the subject, drawing together the scattered results of a number of authors. He discusses the conditions under which the method gives a valid approximation to the required solution; methods for optimal choice of parameters to hasten convergence; the comparison of the method with other techniques. The discussion and proofs of theorems are given in enough detail to make them easy to follow, while a number of interesting examples show how the techniques may be applied in many fields.

The purpose of this book is to present the theory of general irreducible Markov chains and to point out the connection between this and the Perron-Frobenius theory of nonnegative operators. The author begins by providing some basic material designed to make the book self-contained, yet his principal aim throughout is to emphasize recent developments. The technique of embedded renewal processes, common in the study of discrete Markov chains, plays a particularly important role. The examples discussed indicate applications to such topics as queueing theory, storage theory, autoregressive processes and renewal theory. The book will therefore be useful to researchers in the theory and applications of Markov chains. It could also be used as a graduate-level textbook for courses on Markov chains or aspects of operator theory.

All populations fluctuate stochastically, creating a risk of extinction that does not exist in deterministic models, with fundamental consequences for both pure and applied ecology. This book provides the most comprehensive introduction to stochastic population dynamics, combining classical background material with a variety of modern approaches, including new and previously unpublished results by the authors, illustrated with examples from bird and mammal populations, and insect communities.

This text is ideal for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students. The author first develops the necessary background in probability theory and Markov chains before using it to study a range of randomized algorithms with important applications in optimization and other problems in computing. The book will appeal not only to mathematicians, but to students of computer science who will discover much useful material. This clear and concise introduction to the subject has numerous exercises that will help students to deepen their understanding.

First-passage properties underlie a wide range of stochastic processes, such as diffusion-limited growth, neuron firing, and the triggering of stock options. This book provides a unified presentation of first-passage processes, which highlights its interrelations with electrostatics and the resulting powerful consequences. The author begins with a modern presentation of fundamental theory including the connection between the occupation and first-passage probabilities of a random walk, and the connection to electrostatics and current flows in resistor networks. The consequences of this theory are then developed for simple, illustrative geometries including the finite and semi-infinite intervals, fractal networks, spherical geometries and the wedge. Various applications are presented including neuron dynamics, self-organized criticality, diffusion-limited aggregation, the dynamics of spin systems, and the kinetics of diffusion-controlled reactions. Examples discussed include neuron dynamics, self-organized criticality, kinetics of spin systems, and stochastic resonance.

This volume presents topics in probability theory covered during a first-year graduate course given at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, USA. The necessary background material in measure theory is developed, including the standard topics, such as extension theorem, construction of measures, integration, product spaces, Radon-Nikodym theorem, and conditional expectation In the first part of the book, characteristic functions are introduced, followed by the study of weak convergence of probability distributions. Then both the weak and strong limit theorems for sums of independent random variables are proved, including the weak and strong laws of large numbers, central limit theorems, laws of the iterated logarithm, and the Kolmogorov three series theorem. The first part concludes with infinitely divisible distributions and limit theorems for sums of uniformly infinitesimal independent random variables. The second part of the book mainly deals with dependent random variables, particularly martingales and Markov chains. Topics include standard results regarding discrete parameter martingales and Doob's inequalities.

Stochastic calculus and stochastic differential equations play an assertive role in many applications including physics, biology, financial and actuarial modelling. Well known phenomena have been described in the past by deterministic differential equations. Due to the presence of indeterminate factors, the same phenomena can be better modelled by stochastic equations. Therefore, stochastic differential equations are more realistic to the real world than the deterministic ones. This book examines new results from different fields of interest in the wide area of stochastic differential equations and their applications.

The modeling of stochastic dependence is fundamental for understanding random systems evolving in time. When measured through linear correlation, many of these systems exhibit a slow correlation decay--a phenomenon often referred to as long-memory or long-range dependence. An example of this is the absolute returns of equity data in finance. Selfsimilar stochastic processes (particularly fractional Brownian motion) have long been postulated as a means to model this behavior, and the concept of selfsimilarity for a stochastic process is now proving to be extraordinarily useful. Selfsimilarity translates into the equality in distribution between the process under a linear time change and the same process properly scaled in space, a simple scaling property that yields a remarkably rich theory with far-flung applications.

After a short historical overview, this book describes the current state of knowledge about selfsimilar processes and their applications. Concepts, definitions and basic properties are emphasized, giving the reader a road map of the realm of selfsimilarity that allows for further exploration. Such topics as noncentral limit theory, long-range dependence, and operator selfsimilarity are covered alongside statistical estimation, simulation, sample path properties, and stochastic differential equations driven by selfsimilar processes. Numerous references point the reader to current applications.

Though the text uses the mathematical language of the theory of stochastic processes, researchers and end-users from such diverse fields as mathematics, physics, biology, telecommunications, finance, econometrics, and environmental science will find it an ideal entry point for studying the already extensive theory and applications of selfsimilarity.

This book presents an algebraic development of the theory of countable state space Markov chains with discrete and continuous time parameters.

Switching processes, invented by the author in 1977, is the main tool used in the investigation of traffic problems from automotive to telecommunications. The title provides a new approach to low traffic problems based on the analysis of flows of rare events and queuing models. In the case of fast switching, averaging principle and diffusion approximation results are proved and applied to the investigation of transient phenomena for wide classes of overloading queuing networks. The book is devoted to developing the asymptotic theory for the class of switching queuing models which covers models in a Markov or semi-Markov environment, models under the influence of flows of external or internal perturbations, unreliable and hierarchic networks, etc.

In this book, Professor Pinsky gives a self-contained account of the theory of positive harmonic functions for second order elliptic operators, using an integrated probabilistic and analytic approach. The book begins with a treatment of the construction and basic properties of diffusion processes. This theory then serves as a vehicle for studying positive harmonic funtions. Starting with a rigorous treatment of the spectral theory of elliptic operators with nice coefficients on smooth, bounded domains, the author then develops the theory of the generalized principal eigenvalue, and the related criticality theory for elliptic operators on arbitrary domains. Martin boundary theory is considered, and the Martin boundary is explicitly calculated for several classes of operators. The book provides an array of criteria for determining whether a diffusion process is transient or recurrent. Also introduced are the theory of bounded harmonic functions, and Brownian motion on manifolds of negative curvature. Many results that form the folklore of the subject are here given a rigorous exposition, making this book a useful reference for the specialist, and an excellent guide for the graduate student.

Technical analysis points out that the best source of information to beat the market is the price itself. Introducing readers to technical analysis in a more succinct and practical way, Ramlall focuses on the key aspects, benefits, drawbacks, and the main tools of technical analysis. Chart Patterns, Point & Figure, Stochastics, Sentiment indicators, Elliot Wave Theory, RSI, R, Candlesticks and more are covered, including both the concepts and the practical applications. Also including programming technical analysis tools, this book is a valuable tool for both researchers and practitioners.

This monograph presents important research results in the areas of queuing theory, risk theory, graph theory and reliability theory. The analysed stochastic network models are aggregated systems of elements in random environments. To construct and to analyse a large number of different stochastic network models it is possible by a proof of new analytical results and a construction of calculation algorithms besides of the application of cumbersome traditional techniques Such a constructive approach is in a prior detailed investigation of an algebraic model component and leads to an appearance of new original stochastic network models, algorithms and application to computer science and information technologies. Accuracy and asymptotic formulas, additional calculation algorithms have been constructed due to an introduction of control parameters into analysed models, a reduction of multi-dimensional problems to one dimensional problems, a comparative analysis, a graphic interpretation of network models, an investigation of new models characteristics, a choice of special distributions classes or principles of subsystems aggregation, proves of new statements.

This accessible treatment offers the mathematical tools for describing and solving problems related to stochastic vector fields. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students will find its use of generalized functions a relatively simple method of resolving mathematical questions. It will prove a valuable reference for applied mathematicians and professionals in the fields of aerospace, chemical, civil, and nuclear engineering.
The author, Professor Emeritus of Engineering at Cornell University, starts with a survey of probability distributions and densities and proceeds to examinations of moments, characteristic functions, and the Gaussian distribution; random functions; and random processes in more dimensions. Extensive appendixes--which include information on Fourier transforms, tensors, generalized functions, and invariant theory--contribute toward making this volume mathematically self-contained.

This volume is based on talks given at a conference celebrating Stanislav Molchanov's 65th birthday held in June of 2005 at the Centre de Recherches Mathematiques (Montreal, QC, Canada). The meeting brought together researchers working in an exceptionally wide range of topics reflecting the quality and breadth of Molchanov's past and present research accomplishments. This collection of survey and research papers gives a glance of the profound consequences of Molchanov's contributions in stochastic differential equations, spectral theory for deterministic and random operators, localization and intermittency, mathematical physics and optics, and other topics. Information for our distributors: Titles in this series are co-published with the Centre de Recherches Mathematiques.

Through examples of large complex graphs in realistic networks, research in graph theory has been forging ahead into exciting new directions. Graph theory has emerged as a primary tool for detecting numerous hidden structures in various information networks, including Internet graphs, social networks, biological networks, or, more generally, any graph representing relations in massive data sets. How will we explain from first principles the universal and ubiquitous coherence in the structure of these realistic but complex networks? In order to analyze these large sparse graphs, we use combinatorial, probabilistic, and spectral methods, as well as new and improved tools to analyze these networks. The examples of these networks have led us to focus on new, general, and powerful ways to look at graph theory.The book, based on lectures given at the CBMS Workshop on the Combinatorics of Large Sparse Graphs, presents new perspectives in graph theory and helps to contribute to a sound scientific foundation for our understanding of discrete networks that permeate this information age.