A generalization of Doob's maximal identity

Abstract

In this paper, using martingale techniques, we prove a generalization of Doob's maximal identity in the setting of continuous nonnegative local submartingales $(X_{t})$ of the form: $X_{t}=N_{t}+A_{t}$, where the measure $(dA_{t})$ is carried by the set $\left\{t: X_{t}=0\right\}$. In particular, we give a multiplicative decomposition for the Az\'ema supermartingale associated with some last passage times related to such processes and we prove that these non-stopping times contain very useful information. As a consequence, we obtain the law of the maximum of a continuous nonnegative local martingale $(M_t)$ which satisfies $M_\infty=\psi(\sup_{t\geq0}M_t)$ for some measurable function $\psi$ as well as the law of the last time this maximum is reached.