  Random-matrix theory is applied to transition-rate matrices in the Pauli
master equation. We study the distribution and correlations of eigenvalues,
which govern the dynamics of complex stochastic systems. Both the cases of
identical and of independent rates of forward and backward transitions are
considered. The first case leads to symmetric transition-rate matrices, whereas
the second corresponds to general, asymmetric matrices. The resulting matrix
ensembles are different from the standard ensembles and show different
eigenvalue distributions. For example, the fraction of real eigenvalues scales
anomalously with matrix dimension in the asymmetric case.
