{
  "schema_version": 1,
  "problem_number": "AIM-PROBABILITY-0042",
  "title": "Hitting Moving Targets on Eulerian Digraphs in O(mn) Expected Time",
  "author": {
    "name": "Alper Ferudun",
    "affiliation": "Mercury Software GmbH",
    "url": "https://github.com/AlperTheKing"
  },
  "abstract": "Let G be a connected loopless Eulerian directed multigraph with n vertices and m arcs, and let X be its half-lazy simple random walk. For every deterministic target sequence (u_t), we prove that the expected hitting time is at most t_unif(1/4)+10m(n-1)=O(mn), uniformly in the starting vertex. This removes the logarithmic factor in the general moving-target bound of Boczkowski, Peres and Sousi and answers their explicit question following Corollary 2.3. The proof combines a point Dirichlet inequality, a killed-operator contraction and burn-in of the unconditioned law. The same bound holds for independent random targets. An explicit simple nonreversible 18-vertex, 51-arc graph has fixed-target expectation 936>918=mn, refuting coefficient one for arbitrary deterministic targets but not settling that coefficient for two independent walks. The ambiguous full AIM Problem 3.1 is not claimed completely resolved. This is an unrefereed preprint with reproducible exact-rational checks; no independent review, formal verification or absolute priority is claimed.",
  "result_type": "COMPLETE_PROOF",
  "categories": [
    "math.PR",
    "math.CO"
  ],
  "keywords": [
    "Eulerian digraph",
    "moving target",
    "hitting time",
    "nonreversible Markov chain",
    "killed operator",
    "uniform mixing",
    "AIM-PROBABILITY-0042"
  ],
  "manuscript_version_date": "2026-10-06",
  "publication_date": "2026-10-06",
  "publication_date_kind": "first public online release",
  "version": "1.0",
  "date_modified": "2026-10-06",
  "presentation_revision_only": false,
  "doi_archived_file_version": "1.0",
  "status": "unrefereed preprint",
  "canonical_url": "https://eulersolve.org/papers/aim-probability-0042/",
  "pdf_url": "https://eulersolve.org/papers/aim-probability-0042/paper.pdf?v=b3f4c27905ad",
  "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.23187059",
  "zenodo_record_url": "https://zenodo.org/records/23187059",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "scope_caveat": "Complete O(mn) logarithm-removal theorem for all deterministic moving targets under the prescribed half-lazy Eulerian walk, answering the explicit question after Boczkowski, Peres and Sousi Corollary 2.3. The coefficient-one question for two independent copies and the ambiguous full AIM Problem 3.1 are not resolved here. The 18-vertex counterexample concerns arbitrary deterministic targets only. Existing mixing theorems are credited. AI-assisted, self-audited and unrefereed; no independent review, formal verification or absolute priority is claimed. Novelty remains undetermined after a bounded primary-source review.",
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    "source.zip": {
      "sha256": "b44c845266fe8fdcdfbbbc972f6e5af20cd546f900f01fc8c545d5b1ae66967b"
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    "verification_report.md": {
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  "ai_use_disclosure": "AI-assisted tools supported research, computation, proof development, and manuscript preparation. The author remains responsible for all claims and the final text."
}