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The simplest Markov model is the Markov chain.It models the state of a system with a random variable that changes through time. In this context, the Markov property indicates that the distribution for this variable depends only on the distribution of a previous state.
A discrete-time Markov chain is a sequence of random variables X 1, X 2, X 3, ... with the Markov property, namely that the probability of moving to the next state depends only on the present state and not on the previous states:
A finite-state machine can be used as a representation of a Markov chain. Assuming a sequence of independent and identically distributed input signals (for example, symbols from a binary alphabet chosen by coin tosses), if the machine is in state y at time n , then the probability that it moves to state x at time n + 1 depends only on the ...
A semi-Markov process (defined in the above bullet point) in which all the holding times are exponentially distributed is called a continuous-time Markov chain. In other words, if the inter-arrival times are exponentially distributed and if the waiting time in a state and the next state reached are independent, we have a continuous-time Markov ...
Consider this figure depicting a section of a Markov chain with states i, j, k and l and the corresponding transition probabilities. Here Kolmogorov's criterion implies that the product of probabilities when traversing through any closed loop must be equal, so the product around the loop i to j to l to k returning to i must be equal to the loop the other way round,
The "Markov" in "Markov decision process" refers to the underlying structure of state transitions that still follow the Markov property. The process is called a "decision process" because it involves making decisions that influence these state transitions, extending the concept of a Markov chain into the realm of decision-making under uncertainty.
The mixing time of a Markov chain is the number of steps needed for this convergence to happen, to a suitable degree of accuracy. A family of Markov chains is said to be rapidly mixing if the mixing time is a polynomial function of some size parameter of the Markov chain, and slowly mixing otherwise. This book is about finite Markov chains ...
In probability theory, a transition-rate matrix (also known as a Q-matrix, [1] intensity matrix, [2] or infinitesimal generator matrix [3]) is an array of numbers describing the instantaneous rate at which a continuous-time Markov chain transitions between states.