Fluctuations from a hydrodynamic limit of a one-dimensional asymmetric system come at two levels. On the central limit scale n^{1/2} one sees initial fluctuations transported along characteristics and no dynamical noise. The second order of fluctuations comes from the particle current across the characteristic. For a system made up of independent random walks we show that the second-order fluctuations appear at scale n^{1/4} and converge to a certain self-similar Gaussian process. If the system is in equilibrium, this limiting process specializes to fractional Brownian motion with Hurst parameter 1/4. This contrasts with asymmetric exclusion and Hammersley's process whose second-order fluctuations appear at scale n^{1/3}, as has been discovered through related combinatorial growth models.
We give a new proof of a result of Kenyon that the growth exponent for loop-erased random walks in two dimensions is 5/4. The proof uses the convergence of LERW to Schramm-Loewner evolution with parameter 2, and is valid for irreducible bounded symmetric random walks on any two-dimensional discrete lattice.
This paper studies the behavior of RWRE on trees in the critical case left open in previous work. For trees of exponential growth, a random perturbation of the transition probabilities can change a transient random walk into a recurrent one. This is the opposite of what occurs on trees of sub-exponential growth.
The growth exponent $α$ for loop-erased or Laplacian random walk on the integer lattice is defined by saying that the expected time to reach the sphere of radius $n$ is of order $n^α$. We prove that in two dimensions, the growth exponent is strictly greater than one. The proof uses a known estimate on the third moment of the escape probability and an improvement on the discrete Beurling projection theorem.
In this article, we consider products of random walks on finite groups with moderate growth and discuss their cutoffs in the total variation. Based on several comparison techniques, we are able to identify the total variation cutoff of discrete time lazy random walks with the Hellinger distance cutoff of continuous time random walks. Along with the cutoff criterion for Laplace transforms, we derive a series of equivalent conditions on the existence of cutoffs, including the existence of pre-cutoffs, Peres' product condition and a formula generated by the graph diameters. For illustration, we c…
Let $G$ be a finitely generated group of polynomial volume growth equipped with a word-length $|\cdot|$. The goal of this paper is to develop techniques to study the behavior of random walks driven by symmetric measures $μ$ such that, for any $ε>0$, $\sum|\cdot|^εμ=\infty$. In particular, we provide a sharp lower bound for the return probability in the case when $μ$ has a finite weak-logarithmic moment.
We consider a one-dimensional transient cookie random walk. It is known from a previous paper that a cookie random walk $(X_n)$ has positive or zero speed according to some positive parameter $α>1$ or $\le 1$. In this article, we give the exact rate of growth of $(X_n)$ in the zero speed regime, namely: for $0<α<1$, $X_n/n^{\frac{α+1}{2}}$ converges in law to a Mittag-Leffler distribution whereas for $α=1$, $X_n(\log n)/n$ converges in probability to some positive constant.
We consider one or more independent random walks on the $d\ge 3$ dimensional discrete torus. The walks start from vertices chosen independently and uniformly at random. We analyze the fluctuation behavior of the size of some random sets arising from the trajectories of the random walks at a time proportional to the size of the torus. Examples include vacant sets and the intersection of ranges. The proof relies on a refined analysis of tail estimates for hitting time and can be applied for other vertex-transitive graphs.
In this paper characterizations of graphs satisfying heat kernel estimates for a wide class of space-time scaling functions are given. The equivalence of the two-sided heat kernel estimate and the parabolic Harnack inequality is also shown via the equivalence of the upper (lower) heat kernel estimate to the parabolic mean value (and super mean value) inequality.
In this article we refine well-known results concerning the fluctuations of one-dimensional random walks. More precisely, if $(S_n)_{n \geq 0}$ is a random walk starting from 0 and $r\geq 0$, we obtain the precise asymptotic behavior as $n\to\infty$ of $\mathbb P[τ^{>r}=n, S_n\in K]$ and $\mathbb P[τ^{>r}>n, S_n\in K]$, where $τ^{>r}$ is the first time that the random walk reaches the set $]r,\infty[$, and $K$ is a compact set. Our assumptions on the jumps of the random walks are optimal. Our results give an answer to a question of Lalley stated in [9], and are applied to obtain the asymptotic…
We consider a particular Branching Random Walk in Random Environment (BRWRE) on $\sN_0$ started with one particle at the origin. Particles reproduce according to an offspring distribution (which depends on the location) and move either one step to the right (with a probability in $(0,1]$ which also depends on the location) or stay in the same place. We give criteria for local and global survival and show that global survival is equivalent to exponential growth of the moments. Further, on the event of survival the number of particles grows almost surely exponentially fast with the same growth r…
Elephant random walk is a kind of one-dimensional discrete-time random walk with infinite memory: For each step, with probability $α$ the walker adopts one of his/her previous steps uniformly chosen at random, and otherwise he/she performs like a simple random walk (possibly with bias). It admits phase transition from diffusive to superdiffusive behavior at the critical value $α_c=1/2$. For $α\in (α_c, 1)$, there is a scaling factor $a_n$ of order $n^α$ such that the position $S_n$ of the walker at time $n$ scaled by $a_n$ converges to a nondegenerate random variable $W$, whose distribution is…
We consider an i.i.d. random environment with a strong form of transience on the two dimensional integer lattice. Namely, the walk always moves forward in the y-direction. We prove a functional CLT for the quenched expected position of the random walk indexed by its level crossing times. We begin with a variation of the Martingale Central Limit Theorem. The main part of the paper checks the conditions of the theorem for our problem.
We study branching random walks in random environment on the $d$-dimensional square lattice, $d \geq 1$. In this model, the environment has finite range dependence, and the population size cannot decrease. We prove limit theorems (laws of large numbers) for the set of lattice sites which are visited up to a large time as well as for the local size of the population. The limiting shape of this set is compact and convex, though the local size is given by a concave growth exponent. Also, we obtain the law of large numbers for the logarithm of the total number of particles in the process.
We study biased random walk on the infinite connected component of supercritical percolation on the integer lattice $\mathbb{Z}^d$ for $d\geq 2$. For this model, Fribergh and Hammond showed the existence of an exponent $γ$ such that: for $γ<1$, the random walk is sub-ballistic (i.e. has zero velocity asymptotically), with polynomial escape rate described by $γ$; whereas for $γ>1$, the random walk is ballistic, with non-zero speed in the direction of the bias. They moreover established, under the usual diffusive scaling about the mean distance travelled by the random walk in the direction of th…
We perform simulations for one dimensional continuous-time random walks in two dynamic random environments with fast (independent spin-flips) and slow (simple symmetric exclusion) decay of space-time correlations, respectively. We focus on the asymptotic speeds and the scaling limits of such random walks. We observe different behaviors depending on the dynamics of the underlying random environment and the ratio between the jump rate of the random walk and the one of the environment. We compare our data with well known results for static random environment. We observe that the non-diffusive reg…
Several stochastic processes modeling molecular motors on a linear track are given by random walks (not necessarily Markovian) on quasi 1d lattices and share a common regenerative structure. Analyzing this abstract common structure, we derive information on the large fluctuations of the stochastic process by proving large deviation principles for the first--passage times and for the position. We focus our attention on the Gallavotti-Cohen-type symmetry of the position rate function (fluctuation theorem), showing its equivalence with the independence of suitable random variables. In the special…
In this paper we consider finitary symmetric random walks on groups. We construct new possible asymptotics for the drift. We show that the drift can be very close to linear ant yet sublinear. We also give estimates for entropy growth of these random walks. In particular, we prove that there exist infinitely many asymptotics of entropy.
This is the third in a series of papers in which we consider one-dimensional Random Walk in Cooling Random Environment (RWCRE). The latter is obtained by starting from one-dimensional Random Walk in Random Environment (RWRE) and resampling the environment along a sequence of deterministic times, called refreshing times. In the present paper we explore two questions for general refreshing times. First, we investigate how the recurrence versus transience criterion known for RWRE changes for RWCRE. Second, we explore the fluctuations for RWCRE when RWRE is either recurrent or satisfies a classica…
We study an infinite system of independent symmetric random walks on a hierarchical group, in particular, the c-random walks. Such walks are used, e.g., in population genetics. The number variance problem consists in investigating if the variance of the number of "particles" N_n(L) lying in the ball of radius L at a given time n remains bounded, or even better, converges to a finite limit, as $L\to \infty$. We give a necessary and sufficient condition and discuss its relationship to transience/recurrence property of the walk. Next we consider normalized fluctuations of N_n(L) around the mean a…
We consider transient random walks in random environment on Z in the positive speed (ballistic) and critical zero speed regimes. A classical result of Kesten, Kozlov and Spitzer proves that the hitting time of level $n$, after proper centering and normalization, converges to a completely asymmetric stable distribution, but does not describe its scale parameter. Following a previous article by three of the authors, where the (non-critical) zero speed case was dealt with, we give a new proof of this result in the subdiffusive case that provides a complete description of the limit law. The case o…
We study the current of particles that move independently in a common static random environment on the one-dimensional integer lattice. A two-level fluctuation picture appears. On the central limit scale the quenched mean of the current process converges to a Brownian motion. On a smaller scale the current process centered at its quenched mean converges to a mixture of Gaussian processes. These Gaussian processes are similar to those arising from classical random walks, but the environment makes itself felt through an additional Brownian random shift in the spatial argument of the limiting cur…
Moderate deviation principles (MDPs) for random walks on covering graphs with groups of polynomial volume growth are discussed in a geometric point of view. They deal with any intermediate spatial scalings between those of laws of large numbers and those of central limit theorems. The corresponding rate functions are given by quadratic forms determined by the Albanese metric associated with the given random walks. We apply MDPs to establish laws of the iterated logarithm on the covering graphs by characterizing the set of all limit points of the normalized random walks.
There are two ways of speeding up MCMC algorithms: (1) construct more complex samplers that use gradient and higher order information about the target and (2) design a control variate to reduce the asymptotic variance. While the efficiency of (1) as a function of dimension has been studied extensively, this paper provides first rigorous results linking the growth of the asymptotic variance in (2) with dimension. Specifically, we construct a control variate for a $d$-dimensional Random walk Metropolis chain with an IID target using the solution of the Poisson equation for the scaling limit in t…
This paper investigates the Einstein relation; the connection between the volume growth, the resistance growth and the expected time a random walk needs to leave a ball on a weighted graph. The Einstein relation is proved under different set of conditions. In the simplest case it is shown under the volume doubling and time comparison principles. This and the other set of conditions provide the basic framework for the study of (sub-) diffusive behavior of the random walks on weighted graphs.
We consider transient nearest-neighbor random walks in random environment on Z. For a set of environments whose probability is converging to 1 as time goes to infinity, we describe the fluctuations of the hitting time of a level n, around its mean, in terms of an explicit function of the environment. Moreover, their limiting law is described using a Poisson point process whose intensity is computed. This result can be considered as the quenched analog of the classical result of Kesten, Kozlov and Spitzer [Compositio Math. 30 (1975) 145-168].
We prove that the Beta random walk has second order cubic fluctuations from the large deviation principle of the GUE Tracy-Widom type for arbitrary values $\upalpha>0$ and $\upbeta>0$ of the parameters of the Beta distribution, removing previous restrictions on their values. Furthermore, we prove that the GUE Tracy-Widom fluctuations still hold in the intermediate disorder regime. We also show that any random walk in space-time random environment that matches certain moments with the Beta random walk also has GUE Tracy-Widom fluctuations in the intermediate disorder regime. As a corollary we s…
We consider a supercritical catalytic branching random walk (CBRW) on a multidimensional lattice Z^d (d is positive integer). The main subject of study is the behavior of particles cloud in space and time. For CBRW on an integer line, Carmona and Hu (2014) examined the asymptotical behavior of the maximal coordinate M_n of the particles at time n. They proved that M_n/n converges to μalmost surely (on a set of local non-degeneracy of CBRW), as n tends to infinity, where μ>0 is a certain constant. Under additional assumption of a single catalyst in CBRW they also investigated the fluctuations o…
Two fundamental theorems by Spitzer/Erickson and Kesten/Maller on the fluctuation type (positive divergence, negative divergence or oscillation) of a real-valued random walk $(S_{n})_{n\ge 0}$ with iid increments $X_{1},X_{2},\ldots$ and the existence of moments of various related quantities like the first passage into $[x,\infty)$ and the last exit time from $(-\infty,x]$ for arbitrary $x\in\mathbb{R}_{\geqslant}$ are studied in the Markov-modulated situation when the $X_{n}$ are governed by a positive recurrent Markov chain $M=(M_{n})_{n\ge 0}$ on a countable state space $\mathcal{S}$, thus …
In the context of countable groups of polynomial volume growth, we consider a large class of random walks that are allowed to take long jumps along multiple subgroups according to power law distributions. For such a random walk, we study the large time behavior of its probability of return at time $n$ in terms of the key parameters describing the driving measure and the structure of the underlying group. We obtain assorted estimates including near-diagonal two-sided estimates and the Hölder continuity of the solutions of the associated discrete parabolic difference equation. In each case, thes…
Let $G$ be a finitely generated group equipped with a symmetric generating $% k $-tuple $S$. Let $|\cdot|$ and $V$ be the associated word length and volume growth function. Let $ν$ be a probability measure such that $% ν(g)\simeq [(1+|g|)^2V(|g|)]^{-1}$. We prove that if $G$ has polynomial volume growth then $ν^{(n)}(e) \simeq V(\sqrt{n\log n})^{-1}$. We also obtain assorted estimates for other spread-out probability measures.
Consider a general branching process, a.k.a. Crump-Mode-Jagers process, generated by a perturbed random walk $η_1$, $ξ_1+η_2$, $ξ_1+ξ_2+η_3,\ldots$. Here, $(ξ_1,η_1)$, $(ξ_2, η_2),\ldots$ are independent identically distributed random vectors with arbitrarily dependent positive components. Denote by $N_j(t)$ the number of the $j$th generation individuals with birth times $\leq t$. Assume that $j=j(t)\to\infty$ and $j(t)=o(t^a)$ as $t\to\infty$ for some explicitly given $a>0$ (to be specified in the paper). The corresponding $j$th generation belongs to the set of intermediate generations. We pr…
For normally reflected Brownian motion and for simple random walk on independently growing in time d-dimensional domains, d>=3, we establish a sharp criterion for recurrence versus transience in terms of the growth rate.
We consider internal diffusion limited aggregation in dimension larger than or equal to two. This is a random cluster growth model, where random walks start at the origin of the d-dimensional lattice, one at a time, and stop moving when reaching a site that is not occupied by previous walks. When n random walks are sent from the origin, we establish a lower bound for the inner and outer errors fluctuations of order square root of the logarithm of n. When dimension is larger or equal to three, this lower bound matches the upper bound recently obtained in independent works of \cite{AG2} and \cit…
We consider recurrence versus transience for models of random walks on domains of $\mathbb{Z}^d$, in which monotone interaction enforces domain growth as a result of visits by the walk (or probes it sent), to the neighborhood of domain boundary.
The evolution of many stochastic systems is accurately described by random walks on graphs. We here explore the close connection between local steady-state fluctuations of random walks and the global structure of the underlying graph. Fluctuations are quantified by the number of traversals of the random walk across edges during a fixed time window, more precisely, by the corresponding counting statistics. The variance-to-mean ratio of the counting statistics is typically lowered if two end vertices of an edge belong to different clusters as defined by spectral clustering. In particular, we rel…
In this paper we study height fluctuations of random lozenge tilings of polygonal domains on the triangular lattice through nonintersecting Bernoulli random walks. For a large class of polygons which have exactly one horizontal upper boundary edge, we show that these random height functions converge to a Gaussian Free Field as predicted by Kenyon and Okounkov [28]. A key ingredient of our proof is a dynamical version of the discrete loop equations as introduced by Borodin, Guionnet and Gorin [5], which might be of independent interest.
We had established inner and outer fluctuation for the internal DLA cluster when all walks are launched from the origin. In obtaining the outer fluctuation, we had used a deep lemma of Jerison, Levine and Sheffield, which estimate roughly the possibility of fingering, and had provided a simple proof using an interesting estimate for crossing probability for a simple random walk. The application of the crossing probability to the fingering for the internal DLA cluster contains a flaw discovered recently, that we correct in this note. We take the opportunity to make a self-contained exposition.
We study the survival probability and the growth rate for branching random walks in random environment (BRWRE). The particles perform simple symmetric random walks on the $d$-dimensional integer lattice, while at each time unit, they split into independent copies according to time-space i.i.d. offspring distributions. The BRWRE is naturally associated with the directed polymers in random environment (DPRE), for which the quantity called the free energy is well studied. We discuss the survival probability (both global and local) for BRWRE and give a criterion for its positivity in terms of the …
Internal diffusion-limited aggregation is a growth model based on random walk in Z^d. We study how the shape of the aggregate depends on the law of the underlying walk, focusing on a family of walks in Z^2 for which the limiting shape is a diamond. Certain of these walks -- those with a directional bias toward the origin -- have at most logarithmic fluctuations around the limiting shape. This contrasts with the simple random walk, where the limiting shape is a disk and the best known bound on the fluctuations, due to Lawler, is a power law. Our walks enjoy a uniform layering property which sim…
Fluctuations for diameter and perimeter of convex hulls of multiple random walks
Institute of Mathematics, University of Wrocław（弗罗茨瓦夫大学数学研究所）；University of Zagreb Faculty of Science（萨格勒布大学理学院）；University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing（萨格勒布大学电气工程和计算学院）；Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University（杜伦大学数学科学系）；Department of Mathematics, The University of Hong Kong（香港大学数学系）
We prove $\sqrt{\log n}$ lower bounds on the order of growth fluctuations in three planar growth models (first-passage percolation, last-passage percolation, and directed polymers) under no assumptions on the distribution of vertex or edge weights other than the minimum conditions required for avoiding pathologies. Such bounds were previously known only for certain restrictive classes of distributions.In addition, the first-passage shape fluctuation exponent is shown to be at least $1/8$, extending previous results to more general distributions.
Let $β$ be the growth exponent of the loop-erased random walk (LERW) in three dimensions. We prove that the scaling limit of 3D LERW is $h$-Hölder continuous almost surely for all $h < 1/β$, while not $1/β$-Hölder continuous almost surely.
