Help with this problem of stationary distributions

In summary: I.e. you'd get an irreducible markov chain. To find the stationary distribution, it might be useful to consult wikipedia's article. There are at least three equivalent definitions, and you might want to show that three definitions are equivalent (if they are). E.g. if you can show that a distribution is stationary in the sense of a) satisfying the detailed balance equations, b) satisfying the definition in terms of matrix algebra, and c) satisfying the definition of a distribution that makes the chain recurrent, then you'd be done. I'm not sure what your notation is here. It looks like ##p^{-1}_x## means something like the inverse of the probability of being in state ##x##
  • #1
jakub jemez
1
0
I need help with this

Consider an irreducible Markov chain with $\left|S\right|<\infty $ and transition function $p$.

Suppose that $p\left(x,x\right)=0,\ x\in S$ and that the chain has a stationary distribution $\pi .$

Let $p_x,x\ \in S,$ such that $0<\ p_x<1$ and $Q\left(x,y\right),\ x\in S,\ y\ \in S\ $where
$Q\left(x,x\right)=1-p_x$
$Q\left(x,y\right)=p_xp\left(x,y\right),\ if\ y\neq x.$
Proof that

1)The $Q$ function is a transition function and the chain becomes irreducible again with the $Q$ function.

2)The chain has a stationary distribution $\widehat{\pi }$ ($about\ Q$) given by
$\widehat{\pi }\left(x\right)=\frac{p^{-1}_x}{{\mathrm{\Sigma }}_{y\in S}p^{-1}_y\pi (y)\pi (x)},\ x\in S.$

What interpretation does the transition function $Q$ ?

Do you have any suggestions for part one?

Now, for part 2, it occurs to me that it could be as follows;
From what we already have by hypothesis, that is, that ${\mathrm{\Sigma }}_{x\in S}\pi \left(x\right)=1y$

$\sum_{x\in S}{\pi \left(x\right)}p\left(x,y\right)=\pi \left(y\right)\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_(1)$

then, we look carefully (after doing several operations) that (1) (and for de definition of $Q$) it follows that

$\sum_{x\in S}{\frac{\pi \left(x\right)}{p_x}}Q\left(x,y\right)=\frac{\pi \left(y\right)}{p_y}\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_(2)$And then we can see thanks to (2) that $\widehat{\pi }\left(x\right)=\frac{\widehat{\pi }\left(x\right)}{p_x}\ $it's stationary, but it's still missing that ${\mathrm{\Sigma }}_x\widehat{\pi }\left(x\right)=1$

So, I need help to complete $\widehat{\pi }\left(x\right)=\frac{\widehat{\pi }\left(x\right)}{p_x}$ in such a way that it is satisfied ${\mathrm{\Sigma }}_x\widehat{\pi }\left(x\right)=1$
 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF. Try encapsulating your LaTeX in double hashtags, instead of single dollar signs -- that should fix rendering issues.

There are a lot of different approaches here. I am partial to the approach in MIT's 6.262, available on OCW. In particular, this course suggests using matrices for finite state markov chains and renewal theory for countably infinite chains.

Given that you have ##\left|S\right|<\infty ##, I read this as a finite state markov chain, and hence ##Q## (and ##p##) should be interpreted as a matrix.
- - - -
Under course notes, they have a draft of the author's text on this chapter:

https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electri...ring-2011/course-notes/MIT6_262S11_chap03.pdf

I'd suggest looking through that.
- - - -

To prove that ##Q## acts as a transition matrix, you need to verify that each component is real non-negative, and each row (or column, depending on convention) sums to one. You may want to look at the ##kth## row of ##Q## and show what it looks like in general.

I would also strongly suggest working out a full small example. I.e. suppose that there are 5 states. What does ##p## look like? And what does ##Q## look like? PF guidelines generally require you to show your work, and working through a full example would go a long way here.

I found the notation a bit hard to follow, but it looks like Q has the effect of allocating probability along the diagonal (i.e. self loops), which must get rid of periodicity in a graph (why?). If the graph is still connected after ##Q##, then you must get an irreducible graph after large enough iterations (why?). Put differently, the above two considerations would ensure a single recurrent class with no periodicity in the graph.
 

1. What is a stationary distribution?

A stationary distribution is a probability distribution that remains unchanged over time, regardless of any changes or disruptions to the system or process that it represents. In other words, the distribution of a system's states remains constant over time.

2. Why are stationary distributions important?

Stationary distributions are important because they provide insight into the long-term behavior and stability of a system. They can help predict the likelihood of certain outcomes and identify any steady-state conditions that may exist in the system.

3. How is a stationary distribution different from a steady-state distribution?

A stationary distribution and a steady-state distribution are often used interchangeably, but there is a subtle difference between the two. A steady-state distribution refers to the state that a system settles into after a long period of time, while a stationary distribution can also refer to the distribution of states at any given time, regardless of how long the system has been running.

4. How do you calculate a stationary distribution?

The calculation of a stationary distribution depends on the specific system or process being analyzed. In general, it involves setting up a system of equations based on the transition probabilities between states and solving for the probabilities of each state. This can be done through matrix operations or with the use of software programs.

5. Can a system have multiple stationary distributions?

Yes, it is possible for a system to have multiple stationary distributions. This can occur when there are multiple steady-state conditions or when the system is in a transient state, meaning it is still moving towards a steady-state but has not yet reached it. The presence of multiple stationary distributions may indicate a more complex or dynamic system.

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