Which of the following matrices are transition matrices for regular Markov chains?
- [math]\mat {P} = \pmatrix{ .5 & .5 \cr .5 & .5 }[/math]
- [math]\mat {P} = \pmatrix{ .5 & .5 \cr 1 & 0 }[/math]
- [math]\mat {P} = \pmatrix{ 1/3 & 0 & 2/3 \cr 0 & 1 & 0 \cr 0 & 1/5 & 4/5}[/math]
- [math]\mat {P} = \pmatrix{ 0 & 1 \cr 1 & 0}[/math]
- [math]\mat {P} = \pmatrix{ 1/2 & 1/2 & 0 \cr 0 & 1/2 & 1/2 \cr 1/3 & 1/3 & 1/3}[/math]
Consider the Markov chain with transition matrix
- Show that this is a regular Markov chain.
- The process is started in state 1; find the probability that it is in state 3 after two steps.
- Find the limiting probability vector [math]\mat{w}[/math].
Consider the Markov chain with general [math]2 \times 2[/math]
transition matrix
- Under what conditions is [math]\mat{P}[/math] absorbing?
- Under what conditions is [math]\mat{P}[/math] ergodic but not regular?
- Under what conditions is [math]\mat{P}[/math] regular?
Find the fixed probability vector [math]\mat{w}[/math] for the matrices in Exercise Exercise that are ergodic.
Find the fixed probability vector [math]\mat{w}[/math] for each of the following regular matrices.
- [math]\mat {P} = \pmatrix{ .75 & .25 \cr .5 & .5}[/math]. \smallskip
- [math]\mat {P} = \pmatrix{ .9 & .1 \cr .1 & .9}[/math]. \smallskip
- [math]\mat {P} = \pmatrix{ 3/4 & 1/4 & 0 \cr 0 & 2/3 & 1/3 \cr 1/4 & 1/4 & 1/2}[/math]. \smallskip
Consider the Markov chain with transition matrix in Exercise, with [math]a = b = 1[/math]. Show that this chain is ergodic but not regular.
Find the fixed probability vector and interpret it. Show that [math]\mat {P}^n[/math] does not tend to a limit, but that
does.
Consider the Markov chain with transition matrix of Exercise, with [math]a = 0[/math] and [math]b = 1/2[/math]. Compute directly the unique fixed probability vector, and use your result to prove that the chain is not ergodic.
Show that the matrix
has more than one fixed probability vector. Find the matrix that [math]\mat {P}^n[/math] approaches as [math]n \to \infty[/math], and verify that it is not a matrix all of whose rows are the same.
Prove that, if a 3-by-3 transition matrix has the property that its column sums are 1, then [math](1/3, 1/3, 1/3)[/math] is a fixed probability vector. State a similar result for [math]n[/math]-by-[math]n[/math] transition matrices. Interpret these results for ergodic chains.