Wolfgang Woess - Böcker

The main theme of this book is the interplay between the behaviour of a class of stochastic processes (random walks) and discrete structure theory. The author considers Markov chains whose state space is equipped with the structure of an infinite, locally finite graph, or as a particular case, of a finitely generated group. The transition probabilities are assumed to be adapted to the underlying structure in some way that must be specified precisely in each case. From the probabilistic viewpoint, the question is what impact the particular type of structure has on various aspects of the behaviour of the random walk. Vice-versa, random walks may also be seen as useful tools for classifying, or at least describing the structure of graphs and groups. Links with spectral theory and discrete potential theory are also discussed. This book will be essential reading for all researchers working in stochastic process and related topics.

The main theme of this book is the interplay between the behaviour of a class of stochastic processes (random walks) and discrete structure theory. The author considers Markov chains whose state space is equipped with the structure of an infinite, locally finite graph, or as a particular case, of a finitely generated group. The transition probabilities are assumed to be adapted to the underlying structure in some way that must be specified precisely in each case. From the probabilistic viewpoint, the question is what impact the particular type of structure has on various aspects of the behaviour of the random walk. Vice-versa, random walks may also be seen as useful tools for classifying, or at least describing the structure of graphs and groups. Links with spectral theory and discrete potential theory are also discussed. This book will be essential reading for all researchers working in stochastic process and related topics.

These proceedings represent the current state of research on the topics 'boundary theory' and 'spectral and probability theory' of random walks on infinite graphs. They are the result of the two workshops held in Styria (Graz and St. Kathrein am Offenegg, Austria) between June 29th and July 5th, 2009. Many of the participants joined both meetings. Even though the perspectives range from very different fields of mathematics, they all contribute with important results to the same wonderful topic from structure theory, which, by extending a quotation of Laurent Saloff-Coste, could be described by 'exploration of groups by random processes'.

These proceedings represent the current state of research on the topics 'boundary theory' and 'spectral and probability theory' of random walks on infinite graphs. They are the result of the two workshops held in Styria (Graz and St. Kathrein am Offenegg, Austria) between June 29th and July 5th, 2009. Many of the participants joined both meetings. Even though the perspectives range from very different fields of mathematics, they all contribute with important results to the same wonderful topic from structure theory, which, by extending a quotation of Laurent Saloff-Coste, could be described by 'exploration of groups by random processes'.

This book contains the proceedings of the conference "Fractals in Graz 2001 - Analysis, Dynamics, Geometry, Stochastics" that was held in the second week of June 2001 at Graz University of Technology, in the capital of Styria, southeastern province of Austria. The scientific committee of the meeting consisted of M. Barlow (Vancouver), R. Strichartz (Ithaca), P. Grabner and W. Woess (both Graz), the latter two being the local organizers and editors of this volume. We made an effort to unite in the conference as well as in the present pro­ ceedings a multitude of different directions of active current work, and to bring together researchers from various countries as well as research fields that all are linked in some way with the modern theory of fractal structures. Although (or because) in Graz there is only a very small group working on fractal structures, consisting of "non-insiders", we hope to have been successful with this program of wide horizons. All papers were written upon explicit invitation by the editors, and we are happy to be able to present this representative panorama of recent work on poten­ tial theory, random walks, spectral theory, fractal groups, dynamic systems, fractal geometry, and more. The papers presented here underwent a refereeing process.