On a "replicating character string" model

TL;DR

This paper revises a stochastic model for replicating character strings, like DNA, to better understand how properties like stationarity and mixing are preserved through mutations, insertions, and deletions.

Contribution

It extends previous results by establishing preservation of absolute regularity with summable mixing rate in the modified model.

Findings

Preservation of stationarity under the new setup

Preservation of absolute regularity with summable mixing rate

Extension of mixing property results from prior work

Abstract

In a paper of Chaudhuri and Dasgupta published in 2006, a certain stochastic model for "replicating character strings" (such as in DNA sequences) was studied. In their model, a random "input" sequence was subjected to random mutations, insertions, and deletions, resulting in a random "output" sequence. In this note, their model will be set up in a slightly different way, in an effort to facilitate further development of the theory for their model. In their 2006 paper, Chaudhuri and Dasgupta showed that under certain conditions, strict stationarity of the "input" sequence would be preserved by the "output" sequence, and they proved a similar "preservation" result for the property of strong mixing with exponential mixing rate. In our setup, we shall in spirit slightly extend their "preservation of stationarity" result, and also prove a "preservation" result for the property of absolute regularity with summable mixing rate.