Past exam of the probability course of the University of Oxford / 2017 / 3 / b / ii / Solution

The precise conclusion isTo prove it, observe that the maximum rises exactly when the new height difference is positive:A block landing in a shorter column produces $D_m=0$ and no rise; every other case raises the maximum and leaves $D_m>0$. Starting from $H_0=0$, telescoping givesThe difference chain is irreducible and positive recurrent by part (i). Apply the countable-state Markov chain ergodic theorem to the bounded indicator function $g(k)=1_{\{k>0\}}$. Its stationary mean is ${\sum }_{k\ge 1}{\pi }_k=1-{\pi }_0=2/3$, giving the asserted almost sure convergence. No aperiodicity assumption is needed for this time average. This establishes the growth rate of two-column sticky deposition.