Expansions for random walks conditioned to stay positive

Abstract

We consider a one-dimensional random walk $S_n$ with i.i.d. increments with zero mean and finite variance. We study the asymptotic expansion for the tail distribution $\mathbf P(\tau_x>n)$ of the first passage times $\tau_x:=\inf\{n\ge1:x+S_n\le0\}$ for $\ x\ge0.$ We also derive asymptotic expansion for local probabilities $\mathbf P(S_n=x,\tau_0>n)$. Studying the asymptotic expansions we obtain a sequence of discrete polyharmonic functions and obtain analogues of renewal theorem for them.