Hurst exponents, Markov processes, and nonlinear diffusion equations

Bassler, Kevin E.; Gunaratne, Gemunu H. and McCauley, Joseph L. (2005): Hurst exponents, Markov processes, and nonlinear diffusion equations. Published in: Physica A , Vol. 369, (2006): pp. 343-353.

Abstract

We show by explicit closed form calculations that a Hurst exponent H≠1/2 does not necessarily imply long time correlations like those found in fractional Brownian motion. We construct a large set of scaling solutions of Fokker-Planck partial differential equations where H≠1/2. Thus Markov processes, which by construction have no long time correlations, can have H≠1/2. If a Markov process scales with Hurst exponent H≠ 1/2 then it simply means that the process has nonstationary increments. For the scaling solutions, we show how to reduce the calculation of the probability density to a single integration once the diffusion coefficient D(x,t) is specified. As an example, we generate a class of student-t-like densities from the class of quadratic diffusion coefficients. Notably, the Tsallis density is one member of that large class. The Tsallis density is usually thought to result from a nonlinear diffusion equation, but instead we explicitly show that it follows from a Markov process generated by a linear Fokker-Planck equation, and therefore from a corresponding Langevin equation. Having a Tsallis density with H≠1/2 therefore does not imply dynamics with correlated signals, e.g., like those of fractional Brownian motion. A short review of the requirements for fractional Brownian motion is given for clarity, and we explain why the usual simple argument that H≠1/2 implies correlations fails for Markov processes with scaling solutions. Finally, we discuss the question of scaling of the full Green function g(x,t;x',t') of the Fokker-Planck pde.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Institution: University of Houston
• Language: English
• Keywords: Hurst exponent; Markov process; scaling; stochastic calculus; autocorrelations; fractional Brownian motion; Tsallis model; nonlinear diffusion
• Subjects: G - Financial Economics > G1 - General Financial Markets; G - Financial Economics > G1 - General Financial Markets > G10 - General; G - Financial Economics > G1 - General Financial Markets > G14 - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies

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