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4 - Coupling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 December 2023

Sébastien Roch
Affiliation:
University of Wisconsin, Madison
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Summary

In this chapter, we move on to coupling, another probabilistic technique with a wide range of applications (far beyond discrete stochastic processes). The idea behind the coupling method is deceptively simple: to compare two probability measures, it is sometimes useful to construct a joint probability space with the corresponding marginals. We begin by defining coupling formally and deriving its connection to the total variation distance through the coupling inequality. We illustrate the basic idea on a classical Poisson approximation result, which we apply to the degree sequence of an Erdos–Renyi graph. Then we introduce the concept of stochastic domination and some related correlation inequalities. We develop a key application in percolation theory. Coupling of Markov chains is the next topic, where it serves as a powerful tool to derive mixing time bounds. Finally, we end with the Chen–Stein method for Poisson approximation, a technique that applies in particular in some natural settings with dependent variables.

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Modern Discrete Probability
An Essential Toolkit
, pp. 182 - 255
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Coupling
  • Sébastien Roch, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Book: Modern Discrete Probability
  • Online publication: 14 December 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009305129.005
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  • Coupling
  • Sébastien Roch, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Book: Modern Discrete Probability
  • Online publication: 14 December 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009305129.005
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Coupling
  • Sébastien Roch, University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Book: Modern Discrete Probability
  • Online publication: 14 December 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009305129.005
Available formats
×