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ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/iii/paper-214/3/c/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 214 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Group the random resistance cost by unoriented edges. For , its resistance contributes once whenever the walk traverses it in either direction. Pathwise,The graph is finite and the commute has finite expected value. Linearity of expectation, or Tonelli theorem for these nonnegative terms, therefore permits taking expectations of the sum. By the directed edge occupation in a random-walk commute, both directed traversal counts have expected value . ThusApply Foster's theorem from part (a) to obtainThe factor two counts the two orientations of each edge. It would be lost by treating the expected directed count in part (b) as an expected count for both directions together. The same distinct-terminal and simple-random-walk conventions from part (b) remain in force.
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