We analyse an additive-increase and multiplicative-decrease (also known as growth–collapse) process that grows linearly in time and that, at Poisson epochs, experiences downward jumps that are (deterministically) proportional to its present position. For this process, and also for its reflected versions, we consider one- and two-sided exit problems that concern the identification of the laws of exit times from fixed intervals and half-lines. All proofs are based on a unified first-step analysis approach at the first jump epoch, which allows us to give explicit, yet involved, formulas for their Laplace transforms. All eight Laplace transforms can be described in terms of two so-called scale functions associated with the upward one-sided exit time and with the upward two-sided exit time. All other Laplace transforms can be obtained from the above scale functions by taking limits, derivatives, integrals, and combinations of these.

In this paper we analyse the limiting conditional distribution (Yaglom limit) for stochastic fluid models (SFMs), a key class of models in the theory of matrix-analytic methods. So far, only transient and stationary analyses of SFMs have been considered in the literature. The limiting conditional distribution gives useful insights into what happens when the process has been evolving for a long time, given that its busy period has not ended yet. We derive expressions for the Yaglom limit in terms of the singularity˜$s^*$ such that the key matrix of the SFM, ${\boldsymbol{\Psi}}(s)$, is finite (exists) for all $s\geq s^*$ and infinite for $s<s^*$. We show the uniqueness of the Yaglom limit and illustrate the application of the theory with simple examples.

In this paper we derive the distribution of the total downtime of a repairable system during a given time interval. We allow dependence of the failure time and the repair time. The results are presented in the form of Laplace transforms which can be inverted numerically. We also discuss asymptotic properties of the total downtime.

We establish a generalization of the Widder–Arendt theorem from Laplace transform theory. Given a Banach space $E$, a non-negative Borel measure $\mea$ on the set $\Rplus$ of all non-negative numbers, and an element $\bnd$ of $\R\cup\{-\infty\}$ such that $\natres{-\coefl}$ is $\mea$-integrable for all $\coefl>\bnd$, where $\natres{-\coefl}$ is defined by $\natres{-\coefl}(t)=\exp(-\coefl t)$ for all $t\in\Rplus$, our generalization gives an intrinsic description of functions $\f\colon\Set\to E$ that can be represented as $\f(\coefl)=T(\natres{-\coefl})$ for some bounded linear operator $T\colon\Ma\to E$ and all $\coefl> \bnd$; here $\Ma$ denotes the Lebesgue space based on $\mea$. We use this result to characterize pseudo-resolvents with values in a Banach algebra, satisfying a growth condition of Hille–Yosida type.

AMS 2000 Mathematics subject classification: Primary 44A10; 47A10. Secondary 43A20; 46B22; 46G10; 46J25; 47D06

In this paper we study the departure process of M/G/1 queueing models with a single server vacation and multiple server vacations. The arguments employed are direct probability decomposition, renewal theory and the Laplace–Stieltjes transform. We discuss the distribution of the interdeparture time and the expected number of departures occurring in the time interval (0, t] from the beginning of the state i (i = 0, 1, 2, ···), and provide a new method for analysis of the departure process of the single-server queue.

In this paper we review conditions under which Wald's equation holds, mainly if the expectation of the given stopping time is infinite. As a main result we obtain what is probably the weakest possible version of Wald's equation for the case of independent, identically distributed (i.i.d.) random variables. Moreover, we improve a result of Samuel (1967) concerning the existence of stopping times for which the expectation of the stopped sum of the underlying i.i.d. sequence of random variables does not exist. Finally, we show by counterexamples that it is impossible to generalize a theorem of Kiefer and Wolfowitz (1956) relating the moments of the supremum of a random walk with negative drift to moments of the positive part of X1 to the case where the expectation of X1 is —∞. Here, the Laplace–Stieltjes transform of the supremum of the considered random walk plays an important role.

The characterization of the exponential distribution as given by Dimitrov and Khalil (1990) is improved by substantially weakening the conditions.

A new class of life distributions, namely new better than used in convex ordering (NBUC), and its dual, new worse than used in convex ordering (NWUC), are introduced. Their relations to other classes of life distributions, closure properties under three reliability operations, and heritage properties under shock model and Laplace-Stieltjes transform are discussed.

Asymptotic formulas and Laplace–Stieltjes transforms are derived for the first two moments of a renewal process with a random number of delays. These are simplified when all the delays follow the same distribution. An asymptotic occupancy result is also derived for two-stage renewal processes with random numbers of delays. As an example, a demographic model of conception and birth is discussed. This model represents the sequence of live births to a woman as a renewal process. If the woman practises birth control after achieving her desired family composition, the renewal process has a random number of delays.