Rare event simulation methods for stochastic models of computer and communication systems

Instructor: Dr. Werner Sandmann

Affiliation: Otto-Friedrich-University, Bamberg, Germany, Department of Information Systems and Applied Computer Science

Duration: 20 hours

Period: May 17 - 25, 2005

Place: Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Informazione: Elettronica, Informatica, Telecomunicazioni, via G. Caruso, meeting room, ground floor

Credits: 5

Final test: yes

Contacts: Prof. Michele Pagano


Prerequisites

  • Basics of probability, statistics and Markov chains
  • Basics of queueing models
  • Basics of simulation output data analysis

Contents

  • Rare Events
  • Introduction and Motivation
  • Characterization: A Taste of Large Deviations
  • The Problem of Rare Event Simulation
  • Approaches to Simulation Speed-up
  • Importance Sampling
  • General Basics
  • Efficiency Criteria
  • Classical Change of Measure
  • Applications and Examples
  • Importance Sampling for Markovian Models
  • Brief Review of Markov Chains
  • Formal Basis of Importance Sampling for Markov Chains
  • Application to Higher-Level Model Descriptions
  • Heuristics for Markovian Reliability Models
  • Attractor-Rare-Set-Framework and Cyclic Approach
  • Optimal Importance Sampling for Markovian Models
  • Adaptive Importance Sampling
  • Notes on Stochastic Optimization
  • Unified Parametrization
  • Direct Variance Minimization
  • The Cross-Entropy-Method
  • Introduction to RESTART