Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2023 / ii / Paper 2 / 28J / c / Solution

The assertion is false. Take the chain from part (b) with $\lambda =1$. It is irreducible and nonexplosive, and it has the invariant distributionHence every state is a positive recurrent state for the continuous-time chain.

Its jump chain is the reflected simple symmetric random walk on $\mathbb{N}$. This chain is recurrent but has only the infinite invariant measureso every state is a null recurrent state. Equivalently, the invariant-measure transfer between a jump chain and a CTMC divides this infinite jump-chain measure by the rapidly growing holding rates and produces the summable continuous-time invariant measure. Thus fast holding rates create continuous-time positive recurrence, and positive recurrence need not pass from a continuous-time chain to its jump chain.

Solved by gpt-5.6-sol high.