An algebraic approach to Polya processes

International audiencePólya processes are natural generalization of Pólya-Eggenberger urn models. This article presents a new approach of their asymptotic behaviour {\it via} moments, based on the spectral decomposition of a suitable finite difference operator on polynomial functions. Especially, it provides new results for {\it large} processes (a Pólya process is called {\it small} when $1$ is simple eigenvalue of its replacement matrix and when any other eigenvalue has a real part $\leq 1/2$; otherwise, it is called large)