How long does it take a random walker to reach a given target point? This quantity, known as a first passage time, is important because of its crucial role in various situations such as spreading of diseases or target search processes. This paper develops a general theory that allows the accurate evaluation of the mean first passage time in complex media. The predictions are confirmed by numerical simulations of several representative models of disordered media, fractals, anomalous diffusion and scale free networks.
- S. Condamin
- O. Bénichou
- J. Klafter