Collaboration of Random Walks on Graphs

Abstract

Consider a collaborative dynamic of $k$ independent random walks on a finite connected graph $G$. We are interested in the size of the set of vertices visited by at least one walker and study how the number of walkers relates to the efficiency of covering the graph. To this end, we show that the expected size of the union of ranges of $k$ independent random walks with lifespans $t_1,t_2,\dots ,t_k$, respectively, is greater than or equal to that of a single random walk with the lifespan equal to $t_1+t_2+\cdots +t_k$. We analyze other related graph exploration schemes and end with many open questions.

11 pages, 2 figures