TITLE: Perfect Sampling of Stochastic Perpetuities

SPEAKER:  Jose Blanchet

ABSTRACT:

A stochastic perpetuity is the net present value, with i.i.d. random
discount factors, of an infinite stream of i.i.d. rewards in time. Under
reasonable assumptions on the rewards and discounts we describe how to
generate exact (unbiased) samples of stochastic perpetuities. The
algorithm is based on a variation of dominated coupling from the past.
The dominating process involves exact sampling of the delay sequence of
a single server queue starting from the distant past. (This is joint
work with K. Sigman.)