In this paper we study random partitions of 1,...n, where every cluster of size j can be in any of w\_j possible internal states. The Gibbs (n,k,w) distribution is obtained by sampling uniformly among such partitions with k clusters. We provide conditions on the weight sequence w allowing construction of a partition valued random process where at step k the state has the Gibbs (n,k,w) distribution, so the partition is subject to irreversible fragmentation as time evolves. For a particular one-parameter family of weight sequences w\_j, the time-reversed process is the discrete Marcus-Lushnikov coalescent process with affine collision rate K\_{i,j}=a+b(i+j) for some real numbers a and b. Under further restrictions on a and b, the fragmentation process can be realized by conditioning a Galton-Watson tree with suitable offspring distribution to have n nodes, and cutting the edges of this tree by random sampling of edges without replacement, to partition the tree into a collection of subtrees. Suitable offspring distributions include the binomial, negative binomial and Poisson distributions.
We study fragmentation trees of Gibbs type. In the binary case, we identify the most general Gibbs-type fragmentation tree with Aldous' beta-splitting model, which has an extended parameter range $β>-2$ with respect to the ${\rm beta}(β+1,β+1)$ probability distributions on which it is based. In the multifurcating case, we show that Gibbs fragmentation trees are associated with the two-parameter Poisson--Dirichlet models for exchangeable random partitions of $\mathbb {N}$, with an extended parameter range $0\leα\le1$, $θ\ge-2α$ and $α<0$, $θ=-mα$, $m\in \mathbb {N}$.
Gibbs partitions of the integers generated by stable subordinators of index $α\in(0,1)$ form remarkable classes of random partitions where in principle much is known about their properties, including practically effortless obtainment of otherwise complex asymptotic results potentially relevant to applications in general combinatorial stochastic processes, random tree/graph growth models and Bayesian statistics. This class includes the well-known models based on the two-parameter Poisson-Dirichlet distribution which forms the bulk of explicit applications. This work continues efforts to provide…
We study random composite structures considered up to symmetry that are sampled according to weights on the inner and outer structures. This model may be viewed as an unlabelled version of Gibbs partitions and encompasses multisets of weighted combinatorial objects. We describe a general setting characterized by the formation of a giant component. The collection of small fragments is shown toconverge in total variation toward a limit object following a Pólya-Boltzmann distribution.
We study Gibbs partitions that typically form a unique giant component. The remainder is shown to converge in total variation toward a Boltzmann-distributed limit structure. We demon- strate how this setting encompasses arbitrary weighted assemblies of tree-like combinatorial structures. As an application, we establish smooth growth along lattices for small block-stable classes of graphs. Random graphs with n vertices from such classes are shown to form a giant connected component. The small fragments may converge toward different Poisson Boltzmann limit graphs, depending along which lattice w…
By resorting to sequential constructions of exchangeable random partitions (Pitman, 2006), and exploiting some known facts about generalized Stirling numbers, we derive a generalized Chinese restaurant process construction of exchangeable Gibbs partitions of type $α$ (Gnedin and Pitman, 2006). Our construction represents the natural theoretical probabilistic framework in which to embed some recent results about a Bayesian nonparametric treatment of estimation problems arising in genetic experiment under Gibbs, species sampling, models priors.
A simple explicit construction is provided of a partition-valued fragmentation process whose distribution on partitions of $[n]=\{1,...,n\}$ at time $θ\ge 0$ is governed by the Ewens sampling formula with parameter $θ$. These partition-valued processes are exchangeable and consistent, as $n$ varies. They can be derived by uniform sampling from a corresponding mass fragmentation process defined by cutting a unit interval at the points of a Poisson process with intensity $θx^{-1} \diff x$ on ${\mathbb R}_+$, arranged to be intensifying as $θ$ increases.
We study Gibbs partition models, also known as composition schemes. Our main results comprehensively describe their phase diagram, including a phase transition from the convergent case described in Stufler (2018, Random Structures \& Algorithms) to a new dense regime characterized by a linear number of components with fluctuations of smaller order quantified by an $α$-stable law for $1< α\le 2$. We prove a functional scaling limit for a process whose jumps correspond to the component sizes and discuss applications to extremal component sizes. At the transition we observe a mixture of the two a…
The distribution of age-ordered frequencies arising from an exchangeable Gibbs partition is studied in relation with the distribution of the positions at which new mutations appear in a sample.
Gibbs-type exchangeable random partitions, which is a class of multiplicative measures on the set of positive integer partitions, appear in various contexts, including Bayesian statistics, random combinatorial structures, and stochastic models of diversity in various phenomena. Some distributional results on ordered sizes in the Gibbs partition are established by introducing associated partial Bell polynomials and analysis of the generating functions. The combinatorial approach is applied to derive explicit results on asymptotic behavior of the extreme sizes in the Gibbs partition. Especially,…
Pitman(2003)(and subsequently Gnedin and Pitman (2006) showed that a large class of random partitions of the integers derived from a stable subordinator of index $α\in(0,1)$ have infinite Gibbs (product) structure as a characterizing feature. The most notable case are random partitions derived from the two-parameter Poisson-Dirichlet distribution, $\mathrm{PD}(α,θ)$, which are induced by mixing over variables with generalized Mittag-Leffler distributions, denoted by $\mathrm{ML}(α,θ).$ Our aim in this work is to provide indications on the utility of the wider class of Gibbs partitions as it re…
Asymptotic behaviour of conditional $α$ diversity for the two-parameter Poisson-Dirichlet partition model and for the normalized generalized Gamma model has been recently investigated in Favaro et al. (2009, 2011) with a view to possible applications in Bayesian treatment of species richness estimation. Here we generalize those results to the larger class of mixed Poisson-Kingman species sampling models driven by the stable subordinator (Pitman, 2003).
Gibbs-type random probability measures and the exchangeable random partitions they induce represent an important framework both from a theoretical and applied point of view. In the present paper, motivated by species sampling problems, we investigate some properties concerning the conditional distribution of the number of blocks with a certain frequency generated by Gibbs-type random partitions. The general results are then specialized to three noteworthy examples yielding completely explicit expressions of their distributions, moments and asymptotic behaviors. Such expressions can be interpre…
For two collections of nonnegative and suitably normalised weights $\W=(\W_j)$ and $\V=(\V_{n,k})$, a probability distribution on the set of partitions of the set $\{1,...,n\}$ is defined by assigning to a generic partition $\{A_j, j\leq k\}$ the probability $\V_{n,k} \W_{|A_1|}... \W_{|A_k|}$, where $|A_j|$ is the number of elements of $A_j$. We impose constraints on the weights by assuming that the resulting random partitions $Π_n$ of $[n]$ are consistent as $n$ varies, meaning that they define an exchangeable partition of the set of all natural numbers. This implies that the weights $\W$ mu…
The fragmentation processes of exchangeable partitions have already been studied by several authors. In this paper, we examine rather fragmentation of exchangeable compositions, that means partitions of $\mathbb{N}$ where the order of the blocks counts. We will prove that such a fragmentation is bijectively associated to an interval fragmentation. Using this correspondence, we then calculate the Hausdorff dimension of certain random closed set that arise in interval fragmentations and we study Ruelle's interval fragmentation.
We construct a probability model seemingly unrelated to the considered stochastic process of coagulation and fragmentation. By proving for this model the local limit theorem, we establish the asymptotic formula for the partition function of the equilibrium measure for a wide class of parameter functions of the process. This formula proves the conjecture stated in [dgg] for the above class of processes. The method used goes back to A.Khintchine.
Similarly as in (Blancas et al. 2018) where nested coalescent processes are studied, we generalize the definition of partition-valued homogeneous Markov fragmentation processes to the setting of nested partitions, i.e. pairs of partitions $(ζ,ξ)$ where $ζ$ is finer than $ξ$. As in the classical univariate setting, under exchangeability and branching assumptions, we characterize the jump measure of nested fragmentation processes, in terms of erosion coefficients and dislocation measures. Among the possible jumps of a nested fragmentation, three forms of erosion and two forms of dislocation are …
We obtain some approximation results for the weights appearing in the exchangeable partition probability function identifying Gibbs partition models of parameter $α\in (0,1)$, as introduced in Gnedin and Pitman (2006). We rely on approximation results for central and non-central generalized Stirling numbers and on known results for conditional and unconditional $α$ diversity. We provide an application to an approximate Bayesian nonparametric estimation of discovery probability in species sampling problems under normalized inverse Gaussian priors.
We find limit shapes for a family of multiplicative measures on the set of partitions, induced by exponential generating functions with expansive parameters, $a_k\sim Ck^{p-1}, k\to\infty, p>0$,where $C$ is a positive constant. The measures considered are associated with reversible coagulation-fragmentation processes and certain combinatorial structures, known as assemblies. We prove the functional central limit theorem for the fluctuations of a scaled random partition from its limit shape. We demonstrate that when the component size passes beyond the threshold value, the independence of numbe…
We introduce a reversible Markovian coagulation-fragmentation process on the set of partitions of $\{1,\ldots,L\}$ into disjoint intervals. Each interval can either split or merge with one of its two neighbors. The invariant measure can be seen as the Gibbs measure for a homogeneous pinning model \cite{cf:GBbook}. Depending on a parameter $λ$, the typical configuration can be either dominated by a single big interval (delocalized phase), or be composed of many intervals of order $1$ (localized phase), or the interval length can have a power law distribution (critical regime). In the three case…
Gibbs partition models are the largest class of infinite exchangeable partitions of the positive integers generalizing the product form of the probability function of the two-parameter Poisson-Dirichlet family. Recently those models have been investigated in a Bayesian nonparametric approach to species sampling problems as alternatives to the Dirichlet and the Pitman-Yor process priors. Here we derive marginals of conditional and unconditional multivariate distributions arising from exchangeable Gibbs partitions to obtain explicit formulas for joint falling factorial moments of corresponding c…
We consider fragmentation processes with values in the space of marked partitions of $\mathbb{N}$, i.e. partitions where each block is decorated with a nonnegative real number. Assuming that the marks on distinct blocks evolve as independent positive self-similar Markov processes and determine the speed at which their blocks fragment, we get a natural generalization of the self-similar fragmentations of Bertoin (2002). Our main result is the characterization of these generalized fragmentation processes: a Lévy-Khinchin representation is obtained, using techniques from positive self-similar Mar…
This paper derives explicit results for the infinite Gibbs partitions generated by the jumps of an $α-$stable subordinator, derived in Pitman \cite{Pit02, Pit06}. We first show that for general $α$ the conditional EPPF can be represented as ratios of Fox-$H$ functions, and in the case of rational $α,$ Meijer-G functions. Furthermore the results show that the resulting unconditional EPPF's, can be expressed in terms of H and G transforms indexed by a function h. Hence when h is itself a H or G function the EPPF is also an H or G function. An implication, in the case of rational $α,$ is that one…
We develop some theory of spinal decompositions of discrete and continuous fragmentation trees. Specifically, we consider a coarse and a fine spinal integer partition derived from spinal tree decompositions. We prove that for a two-parameter Poisson--Dirichlet family of continuous fragmentation trees, including the stable trees of Duquesne and Le Gall, the fine partition is obtained from the coarse one by shattering each of its parts independently, according to the same law. As a second application of spinal decompositions, we prove that among the continuous fragmentation trees, stable trees a…
We consider the class of exchangeable fragmentation-coagulation (EFC) processes where coagulations are multiple and not simultaneous, as in a $Λ$-coalescent, and fragmentation dislocates at finite rate an individual block into sub-blocks of infinite size. We call these partition-valued processes, simple EFC processes, and study the question whether such a process, when started with infinitely many blocks, can visit partitions with a finite number of blocks or not. When this occurs, one says that the process comes down from infinity. We introduce two sharp parameters $θ_{\star}\leq θ^{\star}\in…
We provide information about the asymptotic regimes for a homogeneous fragmentation of a finite set. We establish a phase transition for the asymptotic behaviours of the shattering times, defined as the first instants when all the blocks of the partition process have cardinality less than a fixed integer. Our results may be applied to the study of certain random split trees.
We introduce elliptic weights of boxed plane partitions and prove that they give rise to a generalization of MacMahon's product formula for the number of plane partitions in a box. We then focus on the most general positive degenerations of these weights that are related to orthogonal polynomials; they form three two-dimensional families. For distributions from these families we prove two types of results. First, we construct explicit Markov chains that preserve these distributions. In particular, this leads to a relatively simple exact sampling algorithm. Second, we consider a limit when all …
Consider a family of distributions $\{π_β\}$ where $X\simπ_β$ means that $\mathbb{P}(X=x)=\exp(-βH(x))/Z(β)$. Here $Z(β)$ is the proper normalizing constant, equal to $\sum_x\exp(-βH(x))$. Then $\{π_β\}$ is known as a Gibbs distribution, and $Z(β)$ is the partition function. This work presents a new method for approximating the partition function to a specified level of relative accuracy using only a number of samples, that is, $O(\ln(Z(β))\ln(\ln(Z(β))))$ when $Z(0)\geq1$. This is a sharp improvement over previous, similar approaches that used a much more complicated algorithm, requiring $O(\…
We establish necessary and sufficient conditions for convergence (in the sense of finite dimensional distributions) of multiplicative measures on the set of partitions. We show that this convergence is equivalent to asymptotic independence of finite sizes of components. The multiplicative measures depict component spectra of random structures, the equilibrium of classic models of statistical mechanics and stochastic processes of coagulation-fragmentation. We then apply Schur's tauberian lemma and some results from additive number theory and enumerative combinatorics, in order to verify the con…
We introduce an algorithm for generating a random sequence of fragmentation trees, which we call the ancestral branching algorithm. This algorithm builds on the recursive partitioning structure of a tree and gives rise to an associated family of Markovian transition kernels whose finite-dimensional transition probabilities can be written in closed-form as the product over partition-valued Markov kernels. The associated tree-valued Markov process is infinitely exchangeable provided its associated partition-valued kernel is infinitely exchangeable. We also identify a transition procedure on part…
Homogeneous fragmentations describe the evolution of a unit mass that breaks down randomly into pieces as time passes. They can be thought of as continuous time analogs of a certain type of branching random walks, which suggests the use of time-discretization to shift known results from the theory of branching random walks to the fragmentation setting. In particular, this yields interesting information about the asymptotic behaviour of fragmentations. On the other hand, homogeneous fragmentations can also be investigated using a powerful technique of discretization of space due to Kingman, nam…
Problem 1.5.7 from Pitman's Saint-Flour lecture notes: Does there exist for each n a fragmentation process (Π_{n,k}, 1 \leq k \leq n) taking values in the space of partitions of {1,2,...,n} such that Π_{n,k} is distributed like the partition generated by cycles of a uniform random permutation of {1,2,...,n} conditioned to have k cycles? We show that the answer is yes. We also give a partial extension to general exchangeable Gibbs partitions.
We introduce the notion of a restricted exchangeable partition of $\mathbb{N}$. We obtain integral representations, consider associated fragmentations, embeddings into continuum random trees and convergence to such limit trees. In particular, we deduce from the general theory developed here a limit result conjectured previously for Ford's alpha model and its extension, the alpha-gamma model, where restricted exchangeability arises naturally.
We consider a natural destruction process of an infinite recursive tree by removing each edge after an independent exponential time. The destruction up to time t is encoded by a partition $Π$(t) of N into blocks of connected vertices. Despite the lack of exchangeability, just like for an exchangeable fragmentation process, the process $Π$ is Markovian with transitions determined by a splitting rates measure r. However, somewhat surprisingly, r fails to fulfill the usual integrability condition for the dislocation measure of exchangeable fragmentations. We further observe that a time-dependent …
In this paper we give a new example of duality between fragmentation and coagulation operators. Consider the space of partitions of mass (i.e., decreasing sequences of nonnegative real numbers whose sum is 1) and the two-parameter family of Poisson--Dirichlet distributions $\operatorname {PD}(α,θ)$ that take values in this space. We introduce families of random fragmentation and coagulation operators $\mathrm {Frag}_α$ and $\mathrm {Coag}_{α,θ}$, respectively, with the following property: if the input to $\mathrm {Frag}_α$ has $\operatorname {PD}(α,θ)$ distribution, then the output has $\opera…
We consider the exchangeable fragmentation-coagulation (EFC) processes, where the coagulations are multiple and not simultaneous, as in a $Λ$-coalescent, and the fragmentations dislocate at finite rate an individual block into sub-blocks of infinite size. Sufficient conditions are found for the block-counting process to explode (i.e. to reach $\infty$) or not and for infinity to be an exit boundary or an entrance boundary. In a case of regularly varying fragmentation and coagulation mechanisms, we find regimes where the boundary $\infty$ can be either an exit, an entrance or a regular boundary…
Consider the supercritical branching random walk on the real line in the boundary case and the associated Gibbs measure $ν_{n,β}$ on the $n^\text{th}$ generation, which is also the polymer measure on a disordered tree with inverse temperature $β$. The convergence of the partition function $W_{n,β}$, after rescaling, towards a nontrivial limit has been proved by A\"ıdékon and Shi in the critical case $β= 1$ and by Madaule when $β>1$. We study here the near-critical case, where $β_n \to 1$, and prove the convergence of $W_{n,β_n}$, after rescaling, towards a constant multiple of the limit of the…
We describe the distribution of frequencies ordered by sample values in a random sample of size $n$ from the two parameter GEM$(α,θ)$ random discrete distribution on the positive integers. These frequencies are a $($size$-α)$-biased random permutation of the sample frequencies in either ranked order, or in the order of appearance of values in the sampling process. This generalizes a well known identity in distribution due to Donnelly and Tavaré (1986) for $α= 0$ to the case $0 \le α< 1$. This description extends to sampling from Gibbs$(α)$ frequencies obtained by suitable conditioning of the G…
We introduce discrete time Markov chains that preserve uniform measures on boxed plane partitions. Elementary Markov steps change the size of the box from (a x b x c) to ((a-1) x (b+1) x c) or ((a+1) x (b-1) x c). Algorithmic realization of each step involves O((a+b)c) operations. One application is an efficient perfect random sampling algorithm for uniformly distributed boxed plane partitions. Trajectories of our Markov chains can be viewed as random point configurations in the three-dimensional lattice. We compute the bulk limits of the correlation functions of the resulting random point pro…
We provide a sufficient condition for the uniqueness in distribution of Gibbs point processes with non-negative pairwise interaction, together with convergent expansions of the log-Laplace functional, factorial moment densities and factorial cumulant densities (correlation functions and truncated correlation functions). The criterion is a continuum version of a convergence condition by Fern{á}ndez and Procacci (2007), the proof is based on the Kirkwood-Salsburg integral equations and is close in spirit to the approach by Bissacot, Fern{á}ndez and Procacci (2010). In addition, we provide formul…
The infinitely-many-neutral-alleles model has recently been extended to a class of diffusion processes associated with Gibbs partitions of two-parameter Poisson-Dirichlet type. This paper introduces a family of infinite-dimensional diffusions associated with a different subclass of Gibbs partitions, induced by normalized inverse-Gaussian random probability measures. Such diffusions describe the evolution of the frequencies of infinitely-many types together with the dynamics of the time-varying mutation rate, which is driven by an alpha-diversity diffusion. Constructed as a dynamic version, rel…
