This is a thoroughly revised and expanded third edition of a successful university textbook that provides a broad introduction to key areas of stochastic modelling. The original text was developed from lecture notes for a one-semester course for third-year science and actuarial students at the University of Melbourne.This book reviews the basics of probability theory and presents topics on Markov chains, Markov decision processes, jump Markov processes, elements of queueing theory, basic renewal theory, elements of time series and simulation. It also features elements of stochastic calculus and introductory mathematical finance. Thus enhancing the book's suitability for a larger variety of university courses presenting the fundamentals of modern stochastic modelling.To make the text covering a lot of material more appealing and accessible to the reader, instead of rigorous proofs we often give only sketches of the arguments, with indications as to why a particular result holds and also how it is related to other results, and illustrate them by examples. It is in this aspect that the present, third edition differs from the second one: the included background material and argument sketches have been extended, made more graphical and informative. The whole text was reviewed and streamlined wherever possible for it to be more attractive and useful for readers. Wherever possible, the book includes references to more specialised texts on respective topics that contain both proofs and more advanced material.

This is a thoroughly revised and expanded third edition of a successful university textbook that provides a broad introduction to key areas of stochastic modelling. The original text was developed from lecture notes for a one-semester course for third-year science and actuarial students at the University of Melbourne.This book reviews the basics of probability theory and presents topics on Markov chains, Markov decision processes, jump Markov processes, elements of queueing theory, basic renewal theory, elements of time series and simulation. It also features elements of stochastic calculus and introductory mathematical finance. Thus enhancing the book's suitability for a larger variety of university courses presenting the fundamentals of modern stochastic modelling.To make the text covering a lot of material more appealing and accessible to the reader, instead of rigorous proofs we often give only sketches of the arguments, with indications as to why a particular result holds and also how it is related to other results, and illustrate them by examples. It is in this aspect that the present, third edition differs from the second one: the included background material and argument sketches have been extended, made more graphical and informative. The whole text was reviewed and streamlined wherever possible for it to be more attractive and useful for readers. Wherever possible, the book includes references to more specialised texts on respective topics that contain both proofs and more advanced material.

This textbook has been developed from the lecture notes for a one-semester course on stochastic modelling. It reviews the basics of probability theory and then covers the following topics: Markov chains, Markov decision processes, jump Markov processes, elements of queueing theory, basic renewal theory, elements of time series and simulation. Rigorous proofs are often replaced with sketches of arguments -- with indications as to why a particular result holds, and also how it is connected with other results -- and illustrated by examples. Wherever possible, the book includes references to more specialised texts containing both proofs and more advanced material related to the topics covered.

This is the expanded second edition of a successful textbook that provides a broad introduction to important areas of stochastic modelling. The original text was developed from lecture notes for a one-semester course for third-year science and actuarial students at the University of Melbourne. It reviewed the basics of probability theory and then covered the following topics: Markov chains, Markov decision processes, jump Markov processes, elements of queueing theory, basic renewal theory, elements of time series and simulation.The present edition adds new chapters on elements of stochastic calculus and introductory mathematical finance that logically complement the topics chosen for the first edition. This makes the book suitable for a larger variety of university courses presenting the fundamentals of modern stochastic modelling. Instead of rigorous proofs we often give only sketches of the arguments, with indications as to why a particular result holds and also how it is related to other results, and illustrate them by examples. Wherever possible, the book includes references to more specialised texts on respective topics that contain both proofs and more advanced material.

This is the expanded second edition of a successful textbook that provides a broad introduction to important areas of stochastic modelling. The original text was developed from lecture notes for a one-semester course for third-year science and actuarial students at the University of Melbourne. It reviewed the basics of probability theory and then covered the following topics: Markov chains, Markov decision processes, jump Markov processes, elements of queueing theory, basic renewal theory, elements of time series and simulation.The present edition adds new chapters on elements of stochastic calculus and introductory mathematical finance that logically complement the topics chosen for the first edition. This makes the book suitable for a larger variety of university courses presenting the fundamentals of modern stochastic modelling. Instead of rigorous proofs we often give only sketches of the arguments, with indications as to why a particular result holds and also how it is related to other results, and illustrate them by examples. Wherever possible, the book includes references to more specialised texts on respective topics that contain both proofs and more advanced material.

This textbook has been developed from the lecture notes for a one-semester course on stochastic modelling. It reviews the basics of probability theory and then covers the following topics: Markov chains, Markov decision processes, jump Markov processes, elements of queueing theory, basic renewal theory, elements of time series and simulation. Rigorous proofs are often replaced with sketches of arguments -- with indications as to why a particular result holds, and also how it is connected with other results -- and illustrated by examples. Wherever possible, the book includes references to more specialised texts containing both proofs and more advanced material related to the topics covered.