A Note on Exact State Visit Probabilities in Two-State Markov Chains

Mohammad Taha Shah

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arXiv · 2502.03073

A Note on Exact State Visit Probabilities in Two-State Markov Chains

Mohammad Taha Shah

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Abstract

In this note we derive the exact probability that a specific state in a two-state Markov chain is visited exactly $k$ times after $N$ transitions. We provide a closed-form solution for $\mathbb{P}(N_l = k \mid N)$, considering initial state probabilities and transition dynamics. The solution corrects and extends prior incomplete results, offering a rigorous framework for enumerating state transitions. Numerical simulations validate the derived expressions, demonstrating their applicability in stochastic modeling.

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Mohammad Taha Shah. 2025-02-05. A Note on Exact State Visit Probabilities in Two-State Markov Chains. https://arxiv.org/abs/2502.03073

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