Eigenvalues of non-reversible Markov chains – A case study
Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:0297-zib-62191
- Finite reversible Markov chains are characterized by a transition matrix P that has real eigenvalues and pi-orthogonal eigenvectors, where pi is the stationary distribution of P. This means, that a transition matrix with complex eigenvalues corresponds to a non-reversible Markov chain. This observation leads to the question, whether the imaginary part of that eigendecomposition corresponds to or indicates the “pattern” of the nonreversibility. This article shows that the direct relation between imaginary parts of eigendecompositions and the non-reversibility of a transition matrix is not given. It is proposed to apply the Schur decomposition of P instead of the eigendecomposition in order to characterize its nonreversibility.
Download full text files
Additional Services
| Author: | Marcus Weber |
|---|---|
| Document Type: | ZIB-Report |
| Tag: | detailed balance; non-reversible; transition matrix |
| MSC-Classification: | 60-XX PROBABILITY THEORY AND STOCHASTIC PROCESSES (For additional applications, see 11Kxx, 62-XX, 90-XX, 91-XX, 92-XX, 93-XX, 94-XX) / 60Jxx Markov processes / 60J10 Markov chains (discrete-time Markov processes on discrete state spaces) |
| 65-XX NUMERICAL ANALYSIS / 65Fxx Numerical linear algebra / 65F15 Eigenvalues, eigenvectors | |
| 82-XX STATISTICAL MECHANICS, STRUCTURE OF MATTER / 82Cxx Time-dependent statistical mechanics (dynamic and nonequilibrium) / 82C35 Irreversible thermodynamics, including Onsager-Machlup theory | |
| Date of first Publication: | 2017/03/09 |
| Series (Serial Number): | ZIB-Report (17-13) |
| ISSN: | 1438-0064 |
