Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2021 iii Paper 201 5 a Solution 2026-09-28
The random-walk form of the Skorokhod embedding theorem says the following. If , where the are independent and identically distributed withthen on a space carrying a Brownian motion there are stopping timessuch that has the same law as , and the increments are independent and identically distributed with mean .
To prove the one-step statement, first note that every centered distribution is a mixture of centered two-point distributions. Indeed, match the equal-mass size-biased measures on and on . This produces a random pair of positive numbers such that, conditionally on , has values with probabilitiesand . Include the atom at zero by taking the stopping time zero.
Choose independently of and stop Brownian motion on first leaving . The Brownian exit from an interval formulas give the displayed two-point probabilities and conditional mean stopping time . Thus has the law of and .
Starting from , repeat this construction after each . The Strong Markov property makes the new Brownian increments independent copies of the first embedding, proving the Skorokhod embedding of a centered random walk.