is steady state in markov chains the average probabilities?

No, steady state in Markov chains refers to a stable probability distribution. It is the long-term behavior of the system where the probabilities of being in each state do not change from one time step to the next. These probabilities can be determined by solving a set of equations known as the steady-state equations. It is not the average probabilities but the equilibrium probabilities when the system reaches a steady state.