Birth & Death Chains: Analysis & Probabilities

This lecture covers the classification of states in Markov chains, time-homogeneous discrete-time Markov chains, communicating classes, absorbing states, hitting times, and hitting probabilities. It also delves into birth and death chains, illustrating transition analysis and hitting probability calculations. The instructor explains the concepts using examples and equations, emphasizing the expected duration of the game and the solutions to non-homogeneous difference equations.