We prove that the largest eigenvalues of the beta ensembles of random matrix theory converge in distribution to the low-lying eigenvalues of the random Schroedinger operator -d^2/dx^2 + x + (2/beta^{1/2}) b_x' restricted to the positive half-line, where b_x' is white noise. In doing so we extend the definition of the Tracy-Widom(beta) distributions to all beta>0, and also analyze their tails. Last, in a parallel development, we provide a second characterization of these laws in terms of a one-dimensional diffusion. The proofs rely on the associated tridiagonal matrix models and a universality result showing that the spectrum of such models converge to that of their continuum operator limit. In particular, we show how Tracy-Widom laws arise from a functional central limit theorem.
We access the edge of Gaussian beta ensembles with one spike by analyzing high powers of the associated tridiagonal matrix models. In the classical cases beta=1, 2, 4, this corresponds to studying the fluctuations of the largest eigenvalues of additive rank one perturbations of the GOE/GUE/GSE random matrices. In the infinite-dimensional limit, we arrive at a one-parameter family of random Feynman-Kac type semigroups, which features the stochastic Airy semigroup of Gorin and Shkolnikov [13] as an extreme case. Our analysis also provides Feynman-Kac formulas for the spiked stochastic Airy opera…
In this paper, we establish the ergodicity of the Airy line ensemble. This shows that it is the only candidate for Conjecture 3.2 in [3], regarding the classification of ergodic line ensembles satisfying a certain Brownian Gibbs property after a parabolic shift.
The Airy line ensemble is a central object in random matrix theory and last passage percolation defined by a determinantal formula. The goal of this paper is to provide a set of tools which allow for precise probabilistic analysis of the Airy line ensemble. The two main theorems are a representation in terms of independent Brownian bridges connecting a fine grid of points, and a modulus of continuity result for all lines. Along the way, we give tail bounds and moduli of continuity for nonintersecting Brownian ensembles, and a quick proof of tightness for Dyson's Brownian motion converging to t…
The Airy line ensemble is a positive-integer indexed system of random continuous curves whose finite dimensional distributions are given by the multi-line Airy process. It is a natural object in the KPZ universality class: for example, its highest curve, the Airy$_2$ process, describes after the subtraction of a parabola the limiting law of the scaled energy of a geodesic running from the origin to a variable point on an anti-diagonal line in such problems as Poissonian last passage percolation. The ensemble of curves resulting from the Airy line ensemble after the subtraction of the same para…
Consider N Brownian bridges B_i:[-N,N] -> R, B_i(-N) = B_i(N) = 0, 1 <= i <= N, conditioned not to intersect. The edge-scaling limit of this system is obtained by taking a limit as N -> infinity of these curves scaled around (0,2^{1/2} N) horizontally by a factor of N^{2/3} and vertically by N^{1/3}. If a parabola is added to each limit curve, an x-translation invariant process sometimes called the multi-line Airy process is obtained. We prove the existence of a version of this process (which we call the Airy line ensemble) in which curves are a.s. everywhere continuous and non-intersecting. T…
This paper deals with products and ratios of average characteristic polynomials for unitary ensembles. We prove universality at the soft edge of the limiting eigenvalues' density, and write the universal limit in function of the Kontsevich matrix model ("matrix Airy function", as originally named by Kontsevich). For the case of the hard edge, universality is already known. We show that also in this case the universal limit can be expressed as a matrix integral ("matrix Bessel function") known in the literature as generalized Kontsevich matrix model.
We consider a family of chiral non-Hermitian Gaussian random matrices in the unitarily invariant symmetry class. The eigenvalue distribution in this model is expressed in terms of Laguerre polynomials in the complex plane. These are orthogonal with respect to a non-Gaussian weight including a modified Bessel function of the second kind, and we give an elementary proof for this. In the large $n$ limit, the eigenvalue statistics at the spectral edge close to the real axis are described by the same family of kernels interpolating between Airy and Poisson that was recently found by one of the auth…
Let $\aip(t)$ be the Airy$_2$ process. We show that the random variable [\sup_{t\leqα}\{aip(t)-t^2}+\min{0,α}^2] has the same distribution as the one-point marginal of the Airy$_{2\to1}$ process at time $α$. These marginals form a family of distributions crossing over from the GUE Tracy-Widom distribution $F_{\rm GUE}(x)$ for the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble of random matrices, to a rescaled version of the GOE Tracy-Widom distribution $F_{\rm GOE}(4^{1/3}x)$ for the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble. Furthermore, we show that for every $α$ the distribution has the same right tail decay $e^{-(4/3)x^{3/…
We introduce a generalization of the extended Airy kernel with two sets of real parameters. We show that this kernel arises in the edge scaling limit of correlation kernels of determinantal processes related to a directed percolation model and to an ensemble of random matrices.
We introduce a new method for studying universality of random matrices. Let T_n be the Jacobi matrix associated to the Dyson beta ensemble with uniformly convex polynomial potential. We show that after scaling, T_n converges to the Stochastic Airy operator. In particular, the top edge of the Dyson beta ensemble and the corresponding eigenvectors are universal. As a byproduct, our work leads to conjectured operator limits for the entire family of soft edge distributions.
We develop a theory of multilevel distributions of eigenvalues which complements the Dyson's threefold $β=1,2,4$ approach corresponding to real/complex/quaternion matrices by $β=\infty$ point. Our central objects are G$\infty$E ensemble, which is a counterpart of classical Gaussian Orthogonal/Unitary/Symplectic ensembles, and Airy$_{\infty}$ line ensemble, which is a collection of continuous curves serving as a scaling limit for largest eigenvalues at $β=\infty$. We develop two points of views on these objects. Probabilistic one treats them as partition functions of certain additive polymers c…
We study $n$ non-intersecting Brownian motions, corresponding to the eigenvalues of an $n\times n$ Hermitian Brownian motion. At the boundary of their limit shape we find that only three universal processes can arise: the Pearcey process close to merging points, the Airy line ensemble at edges and a novel determinantal process describing the transition from the Pearcey process to the Airy line ensemble. The three cases are distinguished by a remarkably simple integral condition. Our results hold under very mild assumptions, in particular we do not require any kind of convergence of the initial…
We determine the operator limit for large powers of random tridiagonal matrices as the size of the matrix grows. The result provides a novel expression in terms of functionals of Brownian motions for the Laplace transform of the Airy$_β$ process, which describes the largest eigenvalues in the $β$ ensembles of random matrix theory. Another consequence is a Feynman-Kac formula for the stochastic Airy operator of Ramírez, Rider, and Virág. As a side result, we find that the difference between the area underneath a standard Brownian excursion and one half of the integral of its squared local times…
We prove that the spectrum of the stochastic Airy operator is rigid in the sense of Ghosh and Peres (Duke Math. J., 166(10):1789--1858, 2017) for Dirichlet and Robin boundary conditions. This proves the rigidity of the Airy-$β$ point process and the soft-edge limit of rank-$1$ perturbations of Gaussian $β$-Ensembles for any $β>0$, and solves an open problem mentioned in a previous work of Bufetov, Nikitin, and Qiu (Mosc. Math. J., 19(2):217--274, 2019). Our proof uses a combination of the semigroup theory of the stochastic Airy operator and the techniques for studying insertion and deletion to…
The purpose of this article is to develop a theory behind the occurrence of "path-integral" kernels in the study of extended determinantal point processes and non-intersecting line ensembles. Our first result shows how determinants involving such kernels arise naturally in studying ratios of partition functions and expectations of multiplicative functionals for ensembles of non-intersecting paths on weighted graphs. Our second result shows how Fredholm determinants with extended kernels (as arise in the study of extended determinantal point processes such as the Airy_2 process) are equal to Fr…
We prove the Central Limit Theorem for the number of eigenvalues near the spectrum edge for hermitian ensembles of random matrices. To derive our results, we use a general theorem, essentially due to Costin and Lebowitz, concerning the Gaussian fluctuation of the number of particles in random point fields with determinantal correlation functions. As another corollary of Costin-Lebowitz Theorem we prove CLT for the empirical distribution function of the eigenvalues of random matrices from classical compact groups.
A Bernoulli Gibbsian line ensemble $\mathfrak{L} = (L_1, \dots, L_N)$ is the law of the trajectories of $N-1$ independent Bernoulli random walkers $L_1, \dots, L_{N-1}$ with possibly random initial and terminal locations that are conditioned to never cross each other or a given random up-right path $L_N$ (i.e. $L_1 \geq \cdots \geq L_N$). In this paper we investigate the asymptotic behavior of sequences of Bernoulli Gibbsian line ensembles $\mathfrak{L}^N = (L^N_1, \dots, L^N_N)$ when the number of walkers $N$ tends to infinity. We prove that if one has mild but uniform control of the one-poin…
We show that beta ensembles in Random Matrix Theory with generic real analytic potential have the asymptotic equipartition property. In addition, we prove a Central Limit Theorem for the density of the eigenvalues of these ensembles.
We prove the edge universality of the beta ensembles for any $β\ge 1$, provided that the limiting spectrum is supported on a single interval, and the external potential is $\mathscr{C}^4$ and regular. We also prove that the edge universality holds for generalized Wigner matrices for all symmetry classes. Moreover, our results allow us to extend bulk universality for beta ensembles from analytic potentials to potentials in class $\mathscr{C}^4$.
The Tracy-Widom beta distribution is the large dimensional limit of the top eigenvalue of beta random matrix ensembles. We use the stochastic Airy operator representation to show that as a tends to infinity the tail of the Tracy Widom distribution satisfies P(TW_beta > a) = a^(-3/4 beta+o(1)) exp(-2/3 beta a^(3/2)).
For a beta-Jacobi ensemble determined by parameters a_1, a_2 and n, under the restriction that the three parameters go to infinity with n and a_1 being of small orders of a_2, we obtain both the bulk and the edge scaling limits. In particular, we derive the asymptotic distributions for the largest and the smallest eigenvalues, the Central Limit Theorems of the eigenvalues, and the limiting distributions of the empirical distributions of the eigenvalues.
A discrete Gibbsian line ensemble $\mathfrak{L} = (L_1,\dots,L_N)$ consists of $N$ independent random walks on the integers conditioned not to cross one another, i.e., $L_1 \geq \cdots \geq L_N$. In this paper we provide sufficient conditions for convergence of a sequence of suitably scaled discrete Gibbsian line ensembles $f^N = (f_1^N,\dots,f_N^N)$ as the number of curves $N$ tends to infinity. Assuming log-concavity and a KMT-type coupling for the random walk jump distribution, we prove that under mild control of the one-point marginals of the top curves with a global parabolic shift, the f…
This paper seeks a quantitative comparison between the curves in the KPZ line ensemble [CH16] and a standard Brownian bridge under the $t^{1/3}$ vertical and $t^{2/3}$ horizontal scaling. The estimate we obtained is parallel to the one established in [Ham1], where the Airy line ensemble was studied. Our main tool is the soft Brownian Gibbs property enjoyed by the KPZ line ensemble. In view of the Gibbs property, the KPZ line ensemble differs from the Airy line ensemble mainly due to the intersecting nature of its curves, which results in the main technical difficulty in this paper. We develop …
We study CMV matrices (a discrete one-dimensional Dirac-type operator) with random decaying coefficients. Under mild assumptions we identify the local eigenvalue statistics in the natural scaling limit. For rapidly decreasing coefficients, the eigenvalues have rigid spacing (like the numerals on a clock); in the case of slow decrease, the eigenvalues are distributed according to a Poisson process. For a certain critical rate of decay we obtain the circular beta ensembles of random matrix theory. The temperature β^{-1} appears as the square of the coupling constant.
For a wide class of Hermitian random matrices, the limit distribution of the eigenvalues close to the largest one is governed by the Airy point process. In such ensembles, the limit distribution of the k-th largest eigenvalue is given in terms of the Airy kernel Fredholm determinant or in terms of Tracy-Widom formulas involving solutions of the Painlevé II equation. Limit distributions for quantities involving two or more near-extreme eigenvalues, such as the gap between the k-th and the \ell-th largest eigenvalue or the sum of the k largest eigenvalues, can be expressed in terms of Fredholm d…
It was shown in [J. A. Ramírez, B. Rider and B. Virág. J. Amer. Math. Soc. 24, 919-944 (2011)] that the edge of the spectrum of $β$ ensembles converges in the large $N$ limit to the bottom of the spectrum of the stochastic Airy operator. In the present paper, we obtain a complete description of the bottom of this spectrum when the temperature $1/β$ goes to $\infty$: we show that the point process of appropriately rescaled eigenvalues converges to a Poisson point process on $\mathbb{R}$ of intensity $e^x dx$ and that the eigenfunctions converge to Dirac masses centered at IID points with expone…
We study limiting distribution of pair counting statistics of the form $ \sum_{1\leq i\neq j\leq N} f(L_N\*(θ_i-θ_j))$ for the circular $β$-ensemble (C$β$E) of random matrices for sufficiently smooth test function $f$ and $L_N=O(N).$ For $β=2$ and $L_N=N$ our results are inspired by a classical result of Montgomery on pair correlation of zeros of Riemann zeta function.
We study the local properties of eigenvalues for the Hermite (Gaussian), Laguerre (Chiral) and Jacobi $β$-ensembles of $N\times N$ random matrices. More specifically, we calculate scaling limits of the expectation value of products of characteristic polynomials as $N\to\infty$. In the bulk of the spectrum of each $β$-ensemble, the same scaling limit is found to be $e^{p_{1}}{}_1F_{1}$ whose exact expansion in terms of Jack polynomials is well known. The scaling limit at the soft edge of the spectrum for the Hermite and Laguerre $β$-ensembles is shown to be a multivariate Airy function, which i…
This paper constructs tridiagonal random matrix models for general ($β>0$) $β$-Hermite (Gaussian) and $β$-Laguerre (Wishart) ensembles. These generalize the well-known Gaussian and Wishart models for $β= 1,2,4$. Furthermore, in the cases of the $β$-Laguerre ensembles, we eliminate the exponent quantization present in the previously known models. We further discuss applications for the new matrix models, and present some open problems.
Bessel processes associated with the root systems $A_{N-1}$ and $B_N$ describe interacting particle systems with $N$ particles on $\mathbb R$; they form dynamic versions of the classical $β$-Hermite and Laguerre ensembles. In this paper we study corresponding Cauchy processes constructed via some subordination. This leads to $β$-Cauchy ensembles in both cases with explicit distributions. For these distributions we derive central limit theorems for fixed $N$ in the freezing regime, i.e., when the parameters tend to infinity. The results are closely related to corresponding known freezing result…
