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Random walks and periodic continued fractions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2016

Wolfgang Woess*
Affiliation:
Montanuniversität Leoben
*
Postal address: Institut für Mathematik und Angewandte Geometrie, Montanuniversität Leoben, A-8700 Leoben, Austria.

Abstract

Nearest-neighbour random walks on the non-negative integers with transition probabilities p0,1 = 1, pk,k–1 = gk, pk,k+1 = 1– gk (0 < gk < 1, k = 1, 2, …) are studied by use of generating functions and continued fraction expansions. In particular, when (gk) is a periodic sequence, local limit theorems are proved and the harmonic functions are determined. These results are applied to simple random walks on certain trees.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Applied Probability Trust 1985 

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