ⓘ Markov chain central limit theorem. In the mathematical theory of random processes, the Markov chain central limit theorem has a conclusion somewhat similar in ..

ⓘ Markov chain central limit theorem

In the mathematical theory of random processes, the Markov chain central limit theorem has a conclusion somewhat similar in form to that of the classic central limit theorem of probability theory, but the quantity in the role taken by the variance in the classic CLT has a more complicated definition.

1. Statement

Suppose that:

• g {\textstyle g} is some measurable real-valued function for which var ⁡ g X 1) < + ∞. {\textstyle \operatorname {var} gX_{1})
• the initial distribution of the process, i.e. the distribution of X 1 {\textstyle X_{1}}, is the stationary distribution, so that X 1, X 2, X 3, … {\textstyle X_{1},X_{2},X_{3},\ldots } are identically distributed. In the classic central limit theorem these random variables would be assumed to be independent, but here we have only the weaker assumption that the process has the Markov property; and
• the sequence X 1, X 2, X 3, … {\textstyle X_{1},X_{2},X_{3},\ldots } of random elements of some set is a Markov chain that has a stationary probability distribution; and