Hadamard fractional Brownian motion is a Gaussian process defined via Hadamard fractional operators with logarithmic kernels, ensuring N(0,t) marginals.
It is self-similar with a constant Hurst index of 1/2 and exhibits both short/anti-persistent and long-range memory based on the parameter α.
The process features precise path regularity, robust stochastic integration, and extends to modeling fractional PDEs and ultra-slow diffusions in grey-noise settings.
Hadamard fractional Brownian motion (HfBm) is a class of Gaussian processes constructed via Hadamard-type fractional integral and derivative operators rather than the classical Riemann–Liouville or Weyl kernels. The central feature distinguishing HfBm from both standard Brownian motion (Bm) and classical fractional Brownian motion (fBm) is the logarithmic kernel induced by Hadamard fractional calculus. While its one-dimensional distributions coincide with those of Bm, HfBm embodies a range of long- and short-memory behaviors, generalized self-similarity (with Hurst index H=1/2 for all parameter values), and sharply defined path regularity. Its stochastic integration theory, inverse representations via multiplicative Sonine pairs, and law of the iterated logarithm are well-developed. Extensions to grey-noise spaces controlled by Le Roy measures further link HfBm to generalized diffusions governed by evolutionary PDEs with Hadamard-type time derivatives (Beghin et al., 17 Jul 2025, Beghin et al., 2024).
1. Construction via Hadamard Fractional Operators
HfBm is constructed using right-sided Hadamard fractional integrals and derivatives defined for β>0 as
HI−βf(x)=Γ(β)1∫x∞(lnxz)β−1zf(z)dz,
with the fractional derivative
HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,
satisfying HD−β∘HI−β=Id for admissible functions. The canonical kernel operator is
A comparison with classical fBm shows that for HI−βf(x)=Γ(β)1∫x∞(lnxz)β−1zf(z)dz,4 the divergence rate of the partial-sum variance HI−βf(x)=Γ(β)1∫x∞(lnxz)β−1zf(z)dz,5 is strictly slower than for fBm of Hurst HI−βf(x)=Γ(β)1∫x∞(lnxz)β−1zf(z)dz,6; hence, the memory effect in HfBm is “weaker” (Beghin et al., 2024).
3. Pathwise Regularity and Trajectory Properties
Increment variances satisfy sharp bounds: HI−βf(x)=Γ(β)1∫x∞(lnxz)β−1zf(z)dz,7
Consequently, sample paths are almost surely Hölder continuous: HI−βf(x)=Γ(β)1∫x∞(lnxz)β−1zf(z)dz,8
Generalized quasi-helix bounds are established; for HI−βf(x)=Γ(β)1∫x∞(lnxz)β−1zf(z)dz,9 the process is a HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,0-generalized quasi-helix, and for HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,1 a HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,2-generalized quasi-helix.
Exact HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,3-variation is determined by
HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,4
For HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,5, the quadratic variation (HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,6) vanishes.
Local nondeterminism is verified via the Volterra representation: for any partition HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,7, the conditional variance of increments is bounded below by the unconditional increment variance.
4. Stochastic Integration and Inverse Representation
The space of admissible integrands is
HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,8
with integration defined by
HD−βf(x)=(−xdxd)n[xnHI−n−βf(x)],n=⌊ℜ(β)⌋+1,9
This extends uniquely to an isometry HD−β∘HI−β=Id0.
For smooth integrands HD−β∘HI−β=Id1 with HD−β∘HI−β=Id2, the Riemann–Stieltjes integral HD−β∘HI−β=Id3 exists and obeys
HD−β∘HI−β=Id4
The inverse representation utilizes the multiplicative Sonine pair property of two power-law kernels: HD−β∘HI−β=Id5
yielding
HD−β∘HI−β=Id6
The Mellin convolution of the logarithmic kernels involved is constant.
5. Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space and Limit Laws
The RKHS associated with HfBm is described by functions HD−β∘HI−β=Id7 for HD−β∘HI−β=Id8,
HD−β∘HI−β=Id9
with inverse given via the Sonine dual integrals as above.
The law of iterated logarithm (LIL) is established, both at zero and as HM−αf=Kα{HD−(1−α)/2fα∈(0,1),fα=1,HI−(α−1)/2fα∈(1,2),0:
As HM−αf=Kα{HD−(1−α)/2fα∈(0,1),fα=1,HI−(α−1)/2fα∈(1,2),1, the family HM−αf=Kα{HD−(1−α)/2fα∈(0,1),fα=1,HI−(α−1)/2fα∈(1,2),2 is relatively compact in HM−αf=Kα{HD−(1−α)/2fα∈(0,1),fα=1,HI−(α−1)/2fα∈(1,2),3 with its set of limit points being the unit ball of the associated RKHS.
As HM−αf=Kα{HD−(1−α)/2fα∈(0,1),fα=1,HI−(α−1)/2fα∈(1,2),4, the discrete family HM−αf=Kα{HD−(1−α)/2fα∈(0,1),fα=1,HI−(α−1)/2fα∈(1,2),5 is relatively compact in the same topology and shares the same cluster set.
6. Extensions in Gel'fand Sense and Fractional PDEs
Generalized random processes related to Hadamard operators have been constructed in both white-noise and grey-noise spaces. In the latter, the underlying measure is induced by the Le Roy function HM−αf=Kα{HD−(1−α)/2fα∈(0,1),fα=1,HI−(α−1)/2fα∈(1,2),6, providing a non-Gaussian extension (“Le Roy–Hadamard motion”). The one-dimensional distributions satisfy heat equations with non-constant coefficients and fractional Hadamard time-derivatives, specifically involving Caputo-type Hadamard fractional derivatives. This construction enables modeling of ultra-slow diffusions while preserving Gaussianity for one-dimensional marginals within any finite time horizon (Beghin et al., 2024).
In these generalized settings, distributional derivatives and stochastic differential equations (e.g., Hadamard-fractional Ornstein–Uhlenbeck processes) can be formulated. The existence and explicit form of distributional (Gel'fand) derivatives and their HM−αf=Kα{HD−(1−α)/2fα∈(0,1),fα=1,HI−(α−1)/2fα∈(1,2),7-transforms are established: HM−αf=Kα{HD−(1−α)/2fα∈(0,1),fα=1,HI−(α−1)/2fα∈(1,2),8
and the moving-average representation
The Hadamard fractional Brownian motion provides a rigorous framework for studying processes with logarithmic kernel memory, ultra-slow diffusion behavior, and complex path regularity, with foundational results for integration, limit laws, and extensions to broader noise spaces (Beghin et al., 17 Jul 2025, Beghin et al., 2024).