On Bernoulli trials with unequal harmonic success probabilities

A Bernoulli scheme with unequal harmonic success probabilities is investigated, together with some of its natural extensions. The study includes the number of successes over some time window, the times to (between) successive successes and the time to the first success. Large sample asymptotics, statistical parameter estimation, and relations to Sibuya distributions and Yule-Simon distributions are discussed. This toy model is relevant in several applications including reliability, species sampling problems, record values breaking and random walks with disasters.