Stochastic Processes MCQs

  1. Which of the following is true about a stochastic process?
    • (A) It is a deterministic process where future states are predictable.
    • (B) It is a sequence of random variables indexed by time or space.
    • (C) It always has a finite number of possible states.
    • (D) It is a time-invariant process.

    Answer: (B) It is a sequence of random variables indexed by time or space.

  2. Which of the following is an example of a Markov process?
    • (A) A process where the future state depends only on the current state, not on the past states.
    • (B) A process where the future state depends on all past states.
    • (C) A process that is independent of the initial state.
    • (D) A process that has no state transitions.

    Answer: (A) A process where the future state depends only on the current state, not on the past states.

  3. What does the term “stationary process” refer to in the context of stochastic processes?
    • (A) The process whose statistical properties do not change over time.
    • (B) A process where the random variables are independent of each other.
    • (C) A process whose outcomes are always the same.
    • (D) A process whose distribution is uniform across all time intervals.

    Answer: (A) The process whose statistical properties do not change over time.

  4. In a Poisson process, which of the following is true?
    • (A) The events occur at a constant rate over time and are independent of each other.
    • (B) The events are dependent on the previous event.
    • (C) The event rate varies with time.
    • (D) The process can only have one event at a time.

    Answer: (A) The events occur at a constant rate over time and are independent of each other.

  5. Which of the following defines a Brownian motion process?
    • (A) A process with continuous paths and independent, normally distributed increments.
    • (B) A process where the next state is determined by a probability distribution.
    • (C) A process that models the behavior of financial markets.
    • (D) A process where the future state is deterministic.

    Answer: (A) A process with continuous paths and independent, normally distributed increments.

  6. What is the key characteristic of a “Markov Chain”?
    • (A) It has a finite number of states and a memoryless property.
    • (B) The future state depends on both the current and all past states.
    • (C) The states follow a deterministic sequence.
    • (D) It is a continuous-time process.

    Answer: (A) It has a finite number of states and a memoryless property.

  7. Which of the following is the primary feature of a “Gillespie algorithm”?
    • (A) It is used to simulate discrete-event stochastic processes, especially in biochemical reactions.
    • (B) It is a method to find the expected values of a stochastic process.
    • (C) It is used to calculate the variance of a stochastic process.
    • (D) It is a technique used to generate random walks.

    Answer: (A) It is used to simulate discrete-event stochastic processes, especially in biochemical reactions.

  8. Which of the following is a characteristic of a Poisson process with rate λ?
    • (A) The expected number of events in a fixed time interval is proportional to the length of the interval.
    • (B) The probability of exactly two events occurring in a fixed time interval is constant.
    • (C) The time between consecutive events follows a normal distribution.
    • (D) The events are perfectly correlated.

    Answer: (A) The expected number of events in a fixed time interval is proportional to the length of the interval.

  9. What is the difference between a “discrete-time” and a “continuous-time” stochastic process?
    • (A) A discrete-time process has a continuous set of possible outcomes, while a continuous-time process has a finite set of outcomes.
    • (B) A discrete-time process involves random variables indexed by continuous time, while a continuous-time process involves random variables indexed by discrete time.
    • (C) In a discrete-time process, the state changes at specific time steps, while in a continuous-time process, the state can change at any time.
    • (D) There is no difference between them.

    Answer: (C) In a discrete-time process, the state changes at specific time steps, while in a continuous-time process, the state can change at any time.

  10. Which of the following describes a “stationary” and “ergodic” process?
  • (A) The process’s statistical properties are time-varying but can be computed over time.
  • (B) The process’s statistical properties do not change over time, and time averages equal ensemble averages.
  • (C) The process has random fluctuations that follow a specific deterministic pattern.
  • (D) The process’s mean is always zero.

Answer: (B) The process’s statistical properties do not change over time, and time averages equal ensemble averages.