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I read through my textbook and find one interesting statement. The normal pdf function $\frac{1}{\sqrt[]{2\pi\sigma^2}\ t}\exp\left(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t}\right)$ satisfies the forward Kolmogorov equation. I find the forward Kolmogorov equation and try to prove it. But I'm confused about how to deal with the derivatives, especially the $\frac{\partial P}{\partial t}$ since I never see the t in other normal pdf. Could someone give me some ideas about how to go forward? Thank you very much.

$$\frac{1}{2}\sigma^2\frac{\partial^2 P}{\partial x^2} - \mu\frac{\partial P}{\partial x}=\frac{\partial P}{\partial t}$$

Sumanta
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  • You're just asking how to take the partial with respect to $t$? Have you had multivariable calculus? – John Samples Feb 11 '21 at 06:55
  • I have taken multivariable calculus. But I don't know how to deal with this derivative. – Cindy Philip Feb 11 '21 at 16:30
  • Ok, I did your derivative below. I hope this is the sort of thing you're asking for, rather than some functional analysis proof that it satisfies the Kolmogorov equation. – John Samples Feb 11 '21 at 18:32

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Ok, the problem isn't hard if you know what those partials mean, it's just a huge mess haha To take the partial with respect to $t$ (or any variable) you just treat the other variables like constants. For example, if $P = xt^2$ then $\partial P/\partial t = 2xt$. So to compute the partial $\partial P / \partial t$ first use the product rule and take the derivative of the left summand:

$$\partial P / \partial t = \frac{\partial}{\partial t}\left( \frac{1}{t \cdot \sqrt{2\pi\sigma^2}}\right) \cdot \exp\left(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t}\right) + \left( \frac{1}{t \cdot \sqrt{2\pi\sigma^2}}\right) \cdot \frac{\partial}{\partial t} \left( \exp\big(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t}\big) \right) =$$

$$= \left( \frac{-1}{t^2 \cdot \sqrt{2\pi\sigma^2}}\right) \cdot \exp\left(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t}\right) + \left( \frac{1}{t \cdot \sqrt{2\pi\sigma^2}}\right) \cdot \frac{\partial}{\partial t} \left( \exp\big(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t}\big) \right)$$

Now to take the derivative on the right, we use the chain rule for $(e^{f(t)})' = f'(t)e^{f(t)}$:

$$\frac{\partial}{\partial t} \left( \exp\big(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t}\big) \right) = \frac{\partial}{\partial t} \left(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t}\right) \cdot \exp\left(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t} \right) =$$

$$ = - \left( \frac{-4\mu \sigma^2 t(x-\mu t) - 2\sigma^2(x-\mu t)^2}{4 \sigma^4 t^2}\right) \cdot \exp\left(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t} \right) =$$

$$ = \frac{2\mu t(x-\mu t)+(x-\mu t)^2}{2 \sigma^2 t^2}\cdot \exp\left(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t} \right)$$

Where the first equality is just the well-known quotient rule for derivatives, and the second equality is just distributing the minus sign and reducing. I'd double-check these calculations if I were you, I just woke up. Putting these together and writing $A = \exp\left(-\frac{(x-\mu t)^2}{2\sigma^2t}\right)$, we get the atrocious:

$$\partial P/\partial t = \left( \frac{-1}{t^2 \cdot \sqrt{2\pi\sigma^2}}\right) \cdot A + \left( \frac{1}{t \cdot \sqrt{2\pi\sigma^2}}\right) \cdot \frac{2\mu t(x-\mu t)+(x-\mu t)^2}{2 \sigma^2 t^2} \cdot A =$$

$$ =\frac{A}{t^2 \cdot \sqrt{2 \pi \sigma^2}} \cdot \left( \frac{2\mu t(x-\mu t)+(x-\mu t)^2}{2 \sigma^2 t} - 1\right) =$$

$$= \frac{A}{t^2 \cdot \sqrt{2 \pi \sigma^2}} \cdot \left( \frac{x^2 - \mu^2t^2}{2 \sigma^2 t} - 1\right)$$

Now you need to check that the functional equation is satisfied, taking the partials wrt $x$. Hopefully it just falls right out - which it basically always does when something like that is true. But without some heavy theorems I see no way to prove this without doing the monster calculations. The partial wrt $x$ is a lot simpler, thankfully.