Lectures On The Poisson Process

A modern introduction to the Poisson process, with general point processes and random measures, and applications to stochastic geometry.

The Poisson process, a core object in modern probability, enjoys a richer theory than is sometimes appreciated. This volume develops the theory in the setting of a general abstract measure space, establishing basic results and properties as well as certain advanced topics in the stochastic analysis of the Poisson process. Also discussed are applications and related topics in stochastic geometry, including stationary point processes, the Boolean model, the Gilbert graph, stable allocations, and hyperplane processes. Comprehensive, rigorous, and self-contained, this text is ideal for graduate courses or for self-study, with a substantial number of exercises for each chapter. Mathematical prerequisites, mainly a sound knowledge of measure-theoretic probability, are kept in the background, but are reviewed comprehensively in the appendix. The authors are well-known researchers in probability theory; especially stochastic geometry. Their approach is informed both by their research and by their extensive experience in teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels.

A common theme in probability theory is the approximation of complicated probability distributions by simpler ones, the central limit theorem being a classical example. Stein's method is a tool which makes this possible in a wide variety of situations. Traditional approaches, for example using Fourier analysis, become awkward to carry through in situations in which dependence plays an important part, whereas Stein's method can often still be applied to great effect. In addition, the method delivers estimates for the error in the approximation, and not just a proof of convergence. Nor is there in principle any restriction on the distribution to be approximated; it can equally well be normal, or Poisson, or that of the whole path of a random process, though the techniques have so far been worked out in much more detail for the classical approximation theorems.This volume of lecture notes provides a detailed introduction to the theory and application of Stein's method, in a form suitable for graduate students who want to acquaint themselves with the method. It includes chapters treating normal, Poisson and compound Poisson approximation, approximation by Poisson processes, and approximation by an arbitrary distribution, written by experts in the different fields. The lectures take the reader from the very basics of Stein's method to the limits of current knowledge.

In the theory of random processes there are two that are fundamental, and occur over and over again, often in surprising ways. There is a real sense in which the deepest results are concerned with their interplay. One, the Bachelier Wiener model of Brownian motion, has been the subject of many books. The other, the Poisson process, seems at first sight humbler and less worthy of study in its own right. Nearly every book mentions it, but most hurry past to more general point processes or Markov chains. This comparative neglect is ill judged, and stems from a lack of perception of the real importance of the Poisson process. This distortion partly comes about from a restriction to one dimension, while the theory becomes more natural in more general context. This book attempts to redress the balance. It records Kingman's fascination with the beauty and wide applicability of Poisson processes in one or more dimensions. The mathematical theory is powerful, and a few key results often produce surprising consequences.

Building upon the previous editions, this textbook is a first course in stochastic processes taken by undergraduate and graduate students (MS and PhD students from math, statistics, economics, computer science, engineering, and finance departments) who have had a course in probability theory. It covers Markov chains in discrete and continuous time, Poisson processes, renewal processes, martingales, and option pricing. One can only learn a subject by seeing it in action, so there are a large number of examples and more than 300 carefully chosen exercises to deepen the reader’s understanding. Drawing from teaching experience and student feedback, there are many new examples and problems with solutions that use TI-83 to eliminate the tedious details of solving linear equations by hand, and the collection of exercises is much improved, with many more biological examples. Originally included in previous editions, material too advanced for this first course in stochastic processes has been eliminated while treatment of other topics useful for applications has been expanded. In addition, the ordering of topics has been improved; for example, the difficult subject of martingales is delayed until its usefulness can be applied in the treatment of mathematical finance.

The purpose of this text is to bring graduate students specializing in probability theory to current research topics at the interface of combinatorics and stochastic processes. There is particular focus on the theory of random combinatorial structures such as partitions, permutations, trees, forests, and mappings, and connections between the asymptotic theory of enumeration of such structures and the theory of stochastic processes like Brownian motion and Poisson processes.

This engaging introduction to random processes provides students with the critical tools needed to design and evaluate engineering systems that must operate reliably in uncertain environments. A brief review of probability theory and real analysis of deterministic functions sets the stage for understanding random processes, whilst the underlying measure theoretic notions are explained in an intuitive, straightforward style. Students will learn to manage the complexity of randomness through the use of simple classes of random processes, statistical means and correlations, asymptotic analysis, sampling, and effective algorithms. Key topics covered include: • Calculus of random processes in linear systems • Kalman and Wiener filtering • Hidden Markov models for statistical inference • The estimation maximization (EM) algorithm • An introduction to martingales and concentration inequalities. Understanding of the key concepts is reinforced through over 100 worked examples and 300 thoroughly tested homework problems (half of which are solved in detail at the end of the book).

An extension problem (often called a boundary problem) of Markov processes has been studied, particularly in the case of one-dimensional diffusion processes, by W. Feller, K. Itô, and H. P. McKean, among others. In this book, Itô discussed a case of a general Markov process with state space S and a specified point a ∈ S called a boundary. The problem is to obtain all possible recurrent extensions of a given minimal process (i.e., the process on S \ {a} which is absorbed on reaching the boundary a). The study in this lecture is restricted to a simpler case of the boundary a being a discontinuous entrance point, leaving a more general case of a continuous entrance point to future works. He established a one-to-one correspondence between a recurrent extension and a pair of a positive measure k(db) on S \ {a} (called the jumping-in measure and a non-negative number m

An integrated package of powerful probabilistic tools and key applications in modern mathematical data science.

"... Especially now, where from the side of mathematical finance interest is also shown for insurance-related products, a book like this one will definitely be instrumental in communicating the basic mathematical models to non-experts in insurance. I therefore welcome this book for its intended audience." P. Embrechts. Mathematical Reviews, Ann Arbor "... [The book] is useful as a detailed theoretical complement to one of the classical introductory texts on risk theory ...". M. Schweizer. Zentralblatt für Mathematik, Berlin "... The author's goals are clearly proclaimed at the outset, and they are pursued with persistence and integrity. The result is a book which is an integral whole, original in some respects, with interesting contributions. And no errors - not even a single misprint. I recommend it to every tutor of risk theory as a source of mathematically solid proofs and complete explorations of certain aspects of the subject." R. Norberg. Metrika, Heidelberg