On a bilateral birth-death process with alternating rates

We consider a bilateral birth-death process characterized by a constant transition rate $\lambda$ from even states and a possibly different transition rate $\mu$ from odd states. We determine the probability generating functions of the even and odd states, the transition probabilities, mean and variance of the process for arbitrary initial state. Some features of the birth-death process confined to the non-negative integers by a reflecting boundary in the zero-state are also analyzed. In particular, making use of a Laplace transform approach we obtain a series form of the transition probability from state 1 to the zero-state.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

A review on symmetry properties of birth-death processes

In this paper we review some results on time-homogeneous birth-death processes. Specifically, for truncated birth-death processes with two absorbing or two reflecting endpoints, we recall the necessary and sufficient conditions on the transition rates such that the transition probabilities satisfy a spatial symmetry relation. The latter leads to simple expressions for first-passage-time densities and avoiding transition probabilities. This approach is thus thoroughly extended to the case of bilateral birth-death processes, even in the presence of catastrophes, and to the case of a two-dimensional birth-death process with constant rates.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Random time-changes and asymptotic results for a class of continuous-time Markov chains on integers with alternating rates

We consider continuous-time Markov chains on integers which allow transitions to adjacent states only, with alternating rates. We give explicit formulas for probability generating functions, and also for means, variances and state probabilities of the random variables of the process. Moreover we study independent random time-changes with the inverse of the stable subordinator, the stable subordinator and the tempered stable subodinator. We also present some asymptotic results in the fashion of large deviations. These results give some generalizations of those presented in Di Crescenzo A., Macci C., Martinucci B. (2014).Comment: 25 pages, 2 figure