Invariance principles for random walks conditioned to stay positive

Abstract

Let $\{S_n\}$ be a random walk in the domain of attraction of a stable law $\mathcal{Y}$, i.e. there exists a sequence of positive real numbers $(a_n)$ such that $S_n/a_n$ converges in law to $\mathcal{Y}$. Our main result is that the rescaled process $(S_{\lfloor nt\rfloor}/a_n, t\ge 0)$, when conditioned to stay positive, converges in law (in the functional sense) towards the corresponding stable L\'{e}vy process conditioned to stay positive. Under some additional assumptions, we also prove a related invariance principle for the random walk killed at its first entrance in the negative half-line and conditioned to die at zero.