Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-theoretical-physics-major-option-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2022/3/c/solution
Past exam of the theoretical physics major option course of the University of Oxford 2022 3 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
Set the time derivatives in the master equation to zero. The first and third rows give and . Normalization then gives, with ,These expressions assume positive rates, or a limiting choice for which and the stationary distribution is unique. If rates vanish so that multiple closed classes appear, the initial condition can matter.
The word “equilibrium” in this part must mean a stationary distribution. With positive the one-way contact transitions support a nonzero stationary electric current, so the process is not in thermodynamic equilibrium and does not satisfy detailed balance. In particular, carries positive probability flow while the direct reverse rate is zero.
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