We study the directed polymer of length $t$ in a random potential with fixed endpoints in dimension 1+1 in the continuum and on the square lattice, by analytical and numerical methods. The universal regime of high temperature $T$ is described, upon scaling 'time' $t \sim T^5/κ$ and space $x = T^3/κ$ (with $κ=T$ for the discrete model) by a continuum model with $δ$-function disorder correlation. Using the Bethe Ansatz solution for the attractive boson problem, we obtain all positive integer moments of the partition function. The lowest cumulants of the free energy are predicted at small time and found in agreement with numerics. We then obtain the exact expression at any time for the generating function of the free energy distribution, in terms of a Fredholm determinant. At large time we find that it crosses over to the Tracy Widom distribution (TW) which describes the fixed $T$ infinite $t$ limit. The exact free energy distribution is obtained for any time and compared with very recent results on growth and exclusion models.
The asymptotic analytic expression for the two-time free energy distribution function in (1+1) random directed polymers is derived in the limit when the two times are close to each other
This is a set of introductory lectures on the behaviour of a directed polymer in a random medium. Both the intuitive picture that helps in developing an understanding and systematic approaches for quantitative studies are discussed.
The explicit expression for the two-time free energy distribution function in one-dimensional directed polymers in random potential is derived in terms of the Bethe ansatz replica technique by mapping the replicated problem to the $N$-particle quantum boson system with attractive interactions.
We study the fluctuations of the directed polymer in 1+1 dimensions in a Gaussian random environment with a finite correlation length ξ and at finite temperature. We address the correspondence between the geometrical transverse fluctuations of the directed polymer, described by its roughness, and the fluctuations of its free-energy, characterized by its two-point correlator. Analytical arguments are provided in favor of a generic scaling law between those quantities, at finite time, non-vanishing ξ and explicit temperature dependence. Numerical results are in good agreement both for simulation…
In this paper I propose very simple statistical "memory model" of one-dimensional directed polymers which is capable to store and retrieve a given random quenched trajectory. The model is defined in terms of the elastic string Hamiltonian with the local attractive potential between the dynamic and the quenched random strings. The average overlap between them is calculated as a function of the temperature and the strength of the attractive potential.
The distribution function of the free energy fluctuations in one-dimensional directed polymers with $δ$-correlated random potential is studied by mapping the replicated problem to a many body quantum boson system with attractive interactions. Performing the summation over the entire spectrum of excited states the problem is reduced to the Fredholm determinant with the Airy kernel which is known to yield the Tracy-Widom distribution
By measuring or calculating coalescence times for several models of coalescence or evolution, with and without selection, we show that the ratios of these coalescence times become universal in the large size limit and we identify a few universality classes.
It is well known that the mean field theory of directed polymers in a random medium exhibits replica symmetry breaking with a distribution of overlaps which consists of two delta functions. Here we show that the leading finite size correction to this distribution of overlaps has a universal character which can be computed explicitly. Our results can also be interpreted as genealogical properties of branching Brownian motion or of branching random walks.
In a recent work Povolotsky provided a three-parameter family of stochastic particle systems with zero-range interactions in one dimension which are integrable by coordinate Bethe ansatz. Using these results we obtain the corresponding condition for integrability of a class of directed polymer models with random weights on the square lattice. Analyzing the solutions we find, besides known cases, a new two-parameter family of integrable DP model, which we call the Inverse-Beta polymer, and provide its Bethe ansatz solution.
This review is devoted to the detailed consideration of the universal statistical properties of one-dimensional directed polymers in a random potential. In terms of the replica Bethe ansatz technique we derive several exact results for different types of the free energy probability distribution functions. In the second part of the review we discuss the problems which are still waiting for their solutions. Several mathematical appendices in the ending part of the review contain various technical details of the performed calculations.
We analyze the statistics of the shortest and fastest paths on the road network between randomly sampled end points. To a good approximation, these optimal paths are found to be directed in that their lengths (at large scales) are linearly proportional to the absolute distance between them. This motivates comparisons to universal features of directed polymers in random media. There are similarities in scalings of fluctuations in length/time and transverse wanderings, but also important distinctions in the scaling exponents, likely due to long-range correlations in geographic and man-made featu…
A directed polymer is allowed to branch, with configurations determined by global energy optimization and disorder. A finite size scaling analysis in 2D shows that, if disorder makes branching more and more favorable, a critical transition occurs from the linear scaling regime first studied by Huse and Henley [Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 2708 (1985)] to a fully branched, compact one. At criticality clear evidence is obtained that the polymer branches at all scales with dimension ${\bar d}_c$ and roughness exponent $ζ_c$ satisfying $({\bar d}_c-1)/ζ_c = 0.13\pm 0.01$, and energy fluctuation exponent $…
We study the statistical properties of one-dimensional directed polymers in a short-range random potential by mapping the replicated problem to a many body quantum boson system with attractive interactions. We find the full set of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the many-body system and perform the summation over the entire spectrum of excited states. The analytic continuation of the obtained exact expression for the replica partition function from integer to non-integer replica parameter N turns out to be ambiguous. Performing the analytic continuation simply by assuming that the parameter …
We study the probability that two directed polymers in the same random potential do not intersect. We use the replica method to map the problem onto the attractive Lieb-Liniger model with generalized statistics between particles. We obtain analytical expressions for the first few moments of this probability, and compare them to a numerical simulation of a discrete model at high-temperature. From these observations, several large time properties of the non-crossing probabilities are conjectured. Extensions of our formalism to more general observables are discussed.
In this paper in terms of the replica method we consider the high temperature limit of (2+1) directed polymers in a random potential and propose an approach which allows to compute the scaling exponent $θ$ of the free energy fluctuations as well as the left tail of its probability distribution function. It is argued that $θ= 1/2$ which is different from the zero-temperature numerical value which is close to 0.241. This result implies that unlike the $(1+1)$ system in the two-dimensional case the free energy scaling exponent is non-universal being temperature dependent.
We consider the unbinding of a directed polymer in a random media from a wall in $d=1+1$ dimensions and a simple one-dimensional model for DNA unzipping. Using the replica trick we show that the restricted partition functions of these problems are {\em identical} up to an overall normalization factor. Our finding gives an example of a generalization of the stochastic matrix form decomposition to disordered systems; a method which effectively allows to reduce dimensionality of the problem. The equivalence between the two problems, for example, allows us to derive the probability distribution fo…
Joint ground states of two directed polymers in a random medium are investigated. Using exact min-cost flow optimization the true two-line ground-state is compared with the single line ground state plus its first excited state. It is found that these two-line configurations are (for almost all disorder configurations) distinct implying that the true two-line ground-state is non-separable, even with 'worst-possible' initial conditions. The effective interaction energy between the two lines scales with the system size with the scaling exponents 0.39 and 0.21 in 2D and 3D, respectively.
We reassess the relation between classical lattice dimer models and the continuum elastic description of a lattice of fluctuating polymers. In the absence of randomness we determine the density and line tension of the polymers in terms of the bond weights of hard-core dimers on the square and the hexagonal lattice. For the latter, we demonstrate the equivalence of the canonical ensemble for the dimer model and the grand-canonical description for polymers by performing explicitly the continuum limit. Using this equivalence for the random bond dimer model on a square lattice, we resolve a previo…
We present a variational approach for directed polymers in $D$ transversal dimensions which is used to compute the corrections to the mean field theory predictions with broken replica symmetry. The trial function is taken to be a symmetrized version of the mean-field solution, which is known to be exact for $D=\infty$. We compute the free energy corresponding to that function and show that the finite-$D$ corrections behave like $D^{-4/3}$. It means that the expansion in powers of 1/D should be used with great care here. We hope that the techniques developed in this note will be useful also in …
We study the stability of the glassy equilibrium state of a directed polymer in random media against weak perturbations including the intriguing problem of temperature-chaos. The statistical correlation of two real replica systems under perturbations, such as small difference of temperature, is studied using the mapping to a quantum problem of interacting bosons. Explicit replica symmetry breaking takes place being induced by the infinitesimally weak perturbations in the $n \to 0$ limit followed by the thermodynamic limit which leads to complete decorrelation of the two real replicas. The over…
We consider two configurations of a random directed polymer of length L confined to a plane and ending in two points separated by 2u. Defining the mean free energy $\bar F$ and the free energy difference F' of the two configurations, we determine the joint distribution function P_{L,u}(\bar F,F') using the replica approach. We find that for large L and large negative free energies $\bar F$, the joint distribution function factorizes into longitudinal (P_{L,u} (\bar F)) and transverse (P_{u}(F')) components, which furthermore coincide with results obtained prevously via different independent ro…
We calculate exactly the first cumulants of the free energy of a directed polymer in a random medium for the geometry of a cylinder. By using the fact that the n-th moment <Z^n> of the partition function is given by the ground state energy of a quantum problem of n interacting particles on a ring of length L, we write an integral equation allowing to expand these moments in powers of the strength of the disorder gamma or in powers of n. For n small and n of order (L gamma)^(-1/2), the moments <Z^n> take a scaling form which allows to describe all the fluctuations of order 1/L of the free energ…
The joint statistical properties of two free energies computed at two different temperatures in {\it the same sample} of $(1+1)$ directed polymers is studied in terms of the replica technique. The scaling dependence of the reduced free energies difference ${\cal F} = F(T_{1})/T_{1} - F(T_{2})/T_{2}$ on the two temperatures $T_{1}$ and $T_{2}$ is derived. In particular, it is shown that if the two temperatures $T_{1} \, < \, T_{2}$ are close to each other the typical value of the fluctuating part of the reduced free energies difference ${\cal F}$ is proportional to $(1 - T_{1}/T_{2})^{1/3}$. It…
We investigate $(2+1)$-dimensional discretized directed polymers in Gaussian random media. By numerically calculating the probability distribution function of overlap between two independent and identical systems on a common random potential, we show that there is no replica symmetry breaking. We also show that while the mean-squared displacement of one polymer end exhibits superdiffusive behavior, the mean-squared relative distance of two polymer ends exhibits subdiffusive behavior.
We study the Directed Polymer model subject to a particular form of disorder, $η(x,t)=η_X(x) η_T(t)$, recently proposed in biological applications. We find that two new universality classes arise, depending on the the lattice geometry. Using an intermediate model linking the two different orientations continuously, we find that there is a phase transition separating two distinct scaling phases. For both phases we get a reasonable understanding of the nature and values of the exponents, corroborated with numerical results.
We explore the effect of random permanent cross-links on a system of directed polymers confined between two planes with their end-points free to slide on them. We treat the cross-links as quenched disorder and we use a semimicroscopic replica field theory to study the structure and elasticity of this system. Upon increasing the cross-link density, we get a continuous gelation transition signaled by the emergence of a finite in-plane localization length. The distribution of localization length turns out to depend on the height along the preferred direction of the directed polymers. The gelation…
For a directed polymer in a random medium lying on an infinite cylinder, that is in 1+1 dimensions with finite width and periodic boundary conditions on the transverse direction, the winding number is simply the algebraic number of turns the polymer does around the cylinder. This paper presents exact expressions of the fluctuations of this winding number due to, first, the thermal noise of the system and, second, the different realizations of the disorder in the medium.
We study the recently introduced Inverse-Beta polymer, an exactly solvable, anisotropic finite temperature model of directed polymer on the square lattice, and obtain its stationary measure. In parallel we introduce an anisotropic zero temperature model of directed polymer on the square lattice, the Bernoulli-Geometric polymer, and obtain its stationary measure. This new exactly solvable model is dual to the Inverse-Beta polymer and interpolates between models of first and last passage percolation on the square lattice. Both stationary measures are shown to satisfy detailed balance. We also ob…
We study the directed polymer with fixed endpoints near an absorbing wall, in the continuum and in presence of disorder, equivalent to the KPZ equation on the half space with droplet initial conditions. From a Bethe Ansatz solution of the equivalent attractive boson model we obtain the exact expression for the free energy distribution at all times. It converges at large time to the Tracy Widom distribution $F_4$ of the Gaussian Symplectic Ensemble (GSE). We compare our results with numerical simulations of the lattice directed polymer, both at zero and high temperature.
Following a recent work by Yoshino, we study the aging dynamics of a directed polymer in random media, in 1+1 dimensions. Through temperature quench, and temperature cycling numerical experiments similar to the experiments on real spin glasses, we show that the observed behaviour is comparable to the one of a well known mean field spin glass model. The observation of various quantities (correlation function, ``clonation'' overlap function) leads to an analysis of the phase space landscape.
The one dimensional direct polymer in random media model is investigated using a variational approach in the replica space. We demonstrate numerically that the stable point is a maximum and the corresponding statistical properties for the delta correlated potential are in good agreements with the known analytic solution. In the case of power-law correlated potential two regimes are recovered: a Flory scaling dependent on the exponent of the correlations, and a short range regime in analogy with the delta-correlated potential case.
We present an approach to studying directed polymers in interaction with a defect line and subject to a force, which pulls them away from the line. We consider in particular the case of inhomogeneous interactions. We first give a formula relating the free energy of these models to the free energy of the corresponding ones in which the force is switched off. We then show how to detect the presence of a re-entrant transition without fully solving the model. We discuss some models in detail and show that inhomogeneous interaction, e.g. disordered interactions, may induce the re-entrance phenomeno…
The 1+1 dimensional directed polymers in a Poissonean random environment is studied. For two polymers of maximal length with the same origin and distinct end points we establish that the point of last branching is governed by the exponent for the transversal fluctuations of a single polymer. We also investigate the density of branches.
The distribution function of the free energy fluctuations in one-dimensional directed polymers with $δ$-correlated random potential is studied by mapping the replicated problem to the $N$-particle quantum boson system with attractive interactions. We find the full set of eigenfunctions and eigenvalues of this many-body system and perform the summation over the entire spectrum of excited states. It is shown that in the thermodynamic limit the problem is reduced to the Fredholm determinant with the Airy kernel yielding the universal Tracy-Widom distribution, which is known to describe the statis…
After reviewing the basics of the cavity method in classical systems, we show how its quantum version, with some appropriate approximation scheme, can be used to study a system of spins with random ferromagnetic interactions and a random transverse field. The quantum cavity equations describing the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic phase transition can be transformed into the well-known problem of a classical directed polymer in a random medium. The glass transition of this polymer problem translates ino the existence of a `Griffith phase' close to the quantum phase transition of the quantum spin pro…
The universality of the directed polymer model and the analogous KPZ equation is supported by numerical simulations using non-Gaussian random probability distributions in two, three and four dimensions. It is shown that although in the non-Gaussian cases the \emph{finite size} estimates of the energy exponents are below the persumed universal values, these estimates \emph{increase} with the system size, and the further they are below the universal values, the higher is their rate of increase. The results are explained in terms of the efficiency of variance reduction during the optimization pro…
Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems（马克斯·普朗克复杂系统物理研究所）；School of Science, Constructor University（康斯坦茨大学理学院）；Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology（麻省理工学院物理系）
We calculate exactly the velocity and diffusion constant of a microscopic stochastic model of $N$ evolving particles which can be described by a noisy traveling wave equation with a noise of order $N^{-1/2}$. Our model can be viewed as the infinite range limit of a directed polymer in random medium with $N$ sites in the transverse direction. Despite some peculiarities of the traveling wave equations in the absence of noise, our exact solution allows us to test the validity of a simple cutoff approximation and to show that, in the weak noise limit, the position of the front can be completely de…
In this mostly numerical study, we revisit the statistical properties of the ground state of a directed polymer in a $d=1+1$ "hilly" disorder landscape, i.e. when the quenched disorder has power-law tails. When disorder is Gaussian, the polymer minimizes its total energy through a collective optimization, where the energy of each visited site only weakly contributes to the total. Conversely, a hilly landscape forces the polymer to distort and explore a larger portion of space to reach some particularly deep energy sites. As soon as the fifth moment of the disorder diverges, this mechanism radi…
