This module shows how the rules of probability can be used to formulate simple models describing processes, such as the length of a queue, which can change in a random manner, and how the properties of the processes, such as the mean queue size, can be deduced.
In Stochastic Processes students will learn how to use conditioning arguments and the reflection principle to calculate probabilities and expectations of random variables. They will also learn to calculate the distribution of a Markov Process at different time points and to calculate expected hitting times, as well as how to determine whether a Markov process has an asymptotic distribution and how to calculate it. Finally, they will develop an understanding of how stochastic processes are used as models.