Formulas for Hitting Times and Cover Times for Random Walks on Groups

Abstract

Using the results of Ding, Lee, Peres [3], we develop formulas to compute the hitting times and cover times for random walks on groups. We developed an explicit formula for hitting times in terms of the irreducible representations of the group. We also have a way of computing cover times in terms of these hitting times. This computation is based on a quantity we indentified, which we call the volume growth function. And we believe that it is the right object to study in order to understand the cover time.