SPECTRAL THEORY OF DISCRETE PROCESSES

Abstract. We offer a spectral analysis for a class of transfer operators. These transfer operators arise for a wide range of stochastic processes, ranging from random walks on infinite graphs to the processes that govern signals and re-cursive wavelet algorithms; even spectral theory for fractal measures. In each case, there is an associated class of harmonic functions which we study. And in addition, we study three questions in depth: In specific applications, and for a specific stochastic process, how do we realize the transfer operator T as an operator in a suitable Hilbert space? And how to spectral analyze T once the right Hilbert space H has been selected? Finally we characterize the stochastic processes that are governed by a single transfer operator. In our applications, the particular stochastic process will live on an infinite path-space which is realized in turn on a state space S. In the case of random walk on graphs G, S will be the set of vertices of G. The Hilbert space H on which the transfer operator T acts will then be an L2 space on S, or a Hilber