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arXiv · 2611.01787

Common random number simulation as the optimal coordinatewise coupling for iterated random functions

Sabrina Sixta·Jeffrey S. Rosenthal
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Abstract

In this paper, we extend the results of Glasserman and Yao (1992) to demonstrate that common random number (CRN) simulation applied to coordinatewise monotone iterated random functions (IRF) represents the optimal allocation of random numbers to minimize the expected distance of an $n$-step Markov chain (MC) in $\mathbb{R}^q$. We introduce this concept as the optimal coordinatewise Wasserstein distance (CWD) coupling. We provide specific examples of IRFs where CRN is the optimal CWD coupling, as well as cases where it is not. For IRFs that are not coordinatewise monotone, we illustrate how CRN applied to equimeasurable transformations can result in even lower expected distances compared to CRN applied to the original IRF.

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Sabrina Sixta, Jeffrey S. Rosenthal. 2026-11-01. Common random number simulation as the optimal coordinatewise coupling for iterated random functions. https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.01787

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