Forthcoming events in this series
Large-size Behavior of the Entanglement Entropy of Free Disordered Fermions
Abstract
We consider a macroscopic system of free lattice fermions, and we are interested in the entanglement entropy (EE) of a large block of size L of the system, treating the rest of the system as the macroscopic environment of the block. Entropy is a widely used quantifier of quantum correlations between a block and its surroundings. We begin with known results (mostly one-dimensional) on the asymptotics form of EE of translation-invariant systems for large L, where for any value of the Fermi energy there are basically two asymptotics known as area law and enhanced (violated ) area law. We then show that in the disordered case and for the Fermi energy belonging to the localized spectrum of a one-body Hamiltonian, the EE obeys the area law for all typical realizations of disorder and any dimension. As for the enhanced area law, it turns out to be possible for some special values of the Fermi energy in the one-dimensional case
Non-constant ground configurations in the disordered ferromagnet and minimal cuts in a random environment.
Abstract
Characteristic polynomials, the Hybrid model, and the Ratios Conjecture
Abstract
In the 1960s Shanks conjectured that the ζ'(ρ), where ρ is a non-trivial zero of zeta, is both real and positive in the mean. Conjecturing and proving this result has a rich history, but efforts to generalise it to higher moments have so far failed. Building on the work of Keating and Snaith using characteristic polynomials from Random Matrix Theory, the Hybrid model of Gonek, Hughes and Keating, and the Ratios Conjecture of Conrey, Farmer, and Zirnbauer, we have been able to produce new conjectures for the full asymptotics of higher moments of the derivatives of zeta. This is joint work with Chris Hughes.
Combinatorial moment sequences
Abstract
We will look at a number of interesting examples — some proven, others merely conjectured — of Hamburger moment sequences in combinatorics. We will consider ways in which this positivity may be expected: for instance, in different types of combinatorial statistics on perfect matchings that encode moments of noncommutative analogues of the classical Central Limit Theorem. We will also consider situations in which this positivity may be surprising, and where proving it would open up new approaches to a class of very hard open problems in combinatorics.
Branching selection particle systems and the selection principle.
Abstract
Random tree encodings and snakes
Abstract
There are several functional encodings of random trees which are commonly used to prove (among other things) scaling limit results. We consider two of these, the height process and Lukasiewicz path, in the classical setting of a branching process tree with critical offspring distribution of finite variance, conditioned to have n vertices. These processes converge jointly in distribution after rescaling by n^{-1/2} to constant multiples of the same standard Brownian excursion, as n goes to infinity. Their difference (taken with the appropriate constants), however, is a nice example of a discrete snake whose displacements are deterministic given the vertex degrees; to quote Marckert, it may be thought of as a “measure of internal complexity of the tree”. We prove that this discrete snake converges on rescaling by n^{-1/4} to the Brownian snake driven by a Brownian excursion. We believe that our methods should also extend to prove convergence of a broad family of other “globally centred” discrete snakes which seem not to be susceptible to the methods of proof employed in earlier works of Marckert and Janson.
This is joint work in progress with Louigi Addario-Berry, Serte Donderwinkel and Rivka Mitchell.
Beyond i.i.d. weights: sparse and low-rank deep Neural Networks are also Gaussian Processes
Abstract
The infinitely wide neural network has been proven a useful and manageable mathematical model that enables the understanding of many phenomena appearing in deep learning. One example is the convergence of random deep networks to Gaussian processes that enables a rigorous analysis of the way the choice of activation function and network weights impacts the training dynamics. In this paper, we extend the seminal proof of Matthews (2018) to a larger class of initial weight distributions (which we call "pseudo i.i.d."), including the established cases of i.i.d. and orthogonal weights, as well as the emerging low-rank and structured sparse settings celebrated for their computational speed-up benefits. We show that fully-connected and convolutional networks initialized with pseudo i.i.d. distributions are all effectively equivalent up to their variance. Using our results, one can identify the Edge-of-Chaos for a broader class of neural networks and tune them at criticality in order to enhance their training.
Percolation phase transition for the vacant set of random walk
Abstract
The vacant set of the random walk on the torus undergoes a percolation phase transition at Poissonian timescales in dimensions 3 and higher. The talk will review this phenomenon and discuss recent progress regarding the nature of the transition, both for this model and its infinite-volume limit, the vacant set of random interlacements, introduced by Sznitman in Ann. Math., 171 (2010), 2039–2087. The discussion will lead up to recent progress regarding the long purported equality of several critical parameters naturally associated to the transition.
Universal universality breaking for random partitions
Abstract
I will talk about a family of measures on partitions (specifically, a case of Okounkov's Schur measures) which are in one-to-one correspondence with models of random unitary matrices and lattice fermions. Under these measures, as the expected size of a partition goes to infinity, the first part of a random partition generically exhibits the same universal asymptotic fluctuations as the largest eigenvalue of a GUE random Hermitian matrix. First, I'll describe how we can tune these measures to exhibit new edge fluctuations at a smaller scale, which naturally generalise the GUE edge behaviour. These new fluctuations are universal, having previously been found for trapped fermions, and when a measure is tuned to have them, the corresponding unitary matrix model is "multicritical". Then, I'll describe how our measures can escape these more general universality classes, when tuned to have several cuts in a certain "Fermi sea". In this case, the breakdown in universality arises from an oscillation phenomenon previously observed in multi-cut Hermitian matrix models. Moreover, we have a one-to-one correspondence with multi-cut unitary matrix models. This is partly based on joint work with Dan Betea and Jérémie Bouttier.
Bounding the Large Deviations in Selberg's Central Limit Theorem
Abstract
It was proved by Selberg's in the 1940's that the typical values of the logarithm of the Riemann zeta function on the critical line is distributed like a complex Gaussian random variable. In this talk, I will present recent work with Emma Bailey that extends the Gaussian behavior for the real part to the large deviation regime. This gives a new proof of unconditional upper bounds of the $2k$-moments of zeta for $0\leq k\leq 2$, and lower bounds for $k>0$. I will also discuss the connections with random matrix theory and with the Moments Conjecture of Keating & Snaith.
Correlations of the Riemann zeta function
Abstract
Abstract: Shifted moments of the Riemann zeta function, introduced by Chandee, are natural generalizations of the moments of zeta. While the moments of zeta capture large values of zeta, the shifted moments also capture how the values of zeta are correlated along the half line. I will describe recent work giving sharp bounds for shifted moments assuming the Riemann hypothesis, improving previous work of Chandee and Ng, Shen, and Wong. I will also discuss some unconditional results about shifted moments with small exponents.
Limiting spectral distributions of random matrices arising in neural networks
Abstract
We study the distribution of eigenvalues of kernel random matrices where each element is the empirical covariance between the feature map evaluations of a random fully-connected neural network. We show that, under mild assumptions on the non-linear activation function, namely Lipschitz continuity and measurability, the limiting spectral distribution can be written as successive free multiplicative convolutions between the Marchenko-Pastur law and a nonrandom measure specific to the neural network. The latter has no known analytical expression but can be simulated empirically, separately from the random matrices of interest.
Solving spin systems — the Babylonian way
Abstract
16:00
Fermionic semiclassical L^p estimates
Abstract
Spectral properties of Schrödinger operators are studied a lot in mathematical physics. They can give the description of trapped fermionic particles. This presentation will focus on the non-interacting case. I will explain why it is relevant to estimate L^p bounds of orthonormal families of eigenfuntions at the semiclassical regime and then, give the main ideas of the proof.
Moments of the high order derivatives of CUE characteristic polynomials
Abstract
In this talk, I will firstly give asymptotic formulas for the moments of the n-th derivative of the characteristic polynomials from the CUE. Secondly, I will talk about the connections between them and a solution of certain Painleve differential equation. This is joint work with Jonathan P. Keating.
No seminar this week
There is a workshop on random matrices, so there will not be any seminar this week. For further details, please visit https://users.ox.ac.uk/~econ0610/PANEDA/RMT/rmt_workshop.html
On the asymptotic analysis of the Calogero-Painlevé systems and the Tracy-Widom$_\beta$ distribution for $\beta$=6
Abstract
The Calogero-Painlevé systems were introduced in 2001 by K. Takasaki as a natural generalization of the classical Painlevé equations to the case of the several Painlevé “particles” coupled via the Calogero type interactions. In 2014, I. Rumanov discovered a remarkable fact that a particular case of the Calogero– Painlevé II equation describes the Tracy-Widom distribution function for the general $\beta$-ensembles with the even values of parameter $\beta$. in 2017 work of M. Bertola, M. Cafasso , and V. Rubtsov, it was proven that all Calogero-Painlevé systems are Lax integrable, and hence their solutions admit a Riemann-Hilbert representation. This important observation has opened the door to rigorous asymptotic analysis of the Calogero-Painlevé equations which in turn yields the possibility of rigorous evaluation of the asymptotic behavior of the Tracy-Widom distributions for the values of $\beta$ beyond the classical $\beta =1, 2, 4$. In the talk these recent developments will be outlined with a special focus on the Calogero-Painlevé system corresponding to $\beta = 6$. This is a joint work with Andrei Prokhorov.
16:00
Projected Green’s Function Methods Applied to Quasi-Periodic Systems and the Dry Ten Martini Problem
Abstract
The resolvents of finite volume restricted Hamiltonians, G^(⍵), have long been used to describe the localization of quantum systems. More recently, projected Green's functions (pGfs) -- finite volume restrictions of the resolvent -- have been applied to translation invariant free fermion systems, and the pGf zero eigenvalues have been shown to determine topological edge modes in free-fermion systems with bulk-edge correspondence. In this talk, I will connect the pGfs to the G^(⍵) appearing in the transfer matrices of quasi-periodic systems and discuss what pGF zeros can tell us about the solutions to transfer matrix equations. Using these methods, we re-examine the critical almost-Matthieu operator and notice new guarantees on analytic regions of its resolvent for Liouville irrationals.
13:30
No seminar this week
There is a workshop on random matrix theory, so there will not be any seminar this week. For further details, please visit https://users.ox.ac.uk/~econ0610/PANEDA/RMT/rmt_workshop.html
Integrability of the Liouville theory
Abstract
Conformal Field Theories (CFT) are believed to be exactly solvable once their primary scaling fields and their 3-point functions are known. This input is called the spectrum and structure constants of the CFT respectively. I will review recent work where this conformal bootstrap program can be rigorously carried out for the case of Liouville CFT, a theory that plays a fundamental role in 2d random surface theory and many other fields in physics and mathematics. Liouville CFT has a probabilistic formulation on an arbitrary Riemann surface and the bootstrap formula can be seen as a "quantization" of the plumbing construction of surfaces with marked points axiomatically discussed earlier by Graeme Segal. Joint work with Colin Guillarmou, Remi Rhodes and Vincent Vargas
This is in joint with the String Theory seminar. Note the unusual date and time.
Domino Shuffle and Matrix Refactorizations
Abstract
This talk is motivated by computing correlations for domino tilings of the Aztec diamond. It is inspired by two of the three distinct methods that have recently been used in the simplest case of a doubly periodic weighting, that is the two-periodic Aztec diamond. This model is of particular probabilistic interest due to being one of the few models having a boundary between polynomially and exponentially decaying macroscopic regions in the limit. One of the methods to compute correlations, powered by the domino shuffle, involves inverting the Kasteleyn matrix giving correlations through the local statistics formula. Another of the methods, driven by a Wiener-Hopf factorization for two- by-two matrix valued functions, involves the Eynard-Mehta theorem. For arbitrary weights the Wiener-Hopf factorization can be replaced by an LU- and UL-decomposition, based on a matrix refactorization, for the product of the transition matrices. In this talk, we present results to say that the evolution of the face weights under the domino shuffle and the matrix refactorization is the same. This is based on joint work with Maurice Duits (Royal Institute of Technology KTH).
Unitary Brownian motion, 2D log-correlated field and loop soups
Abstract
I will present two examples of log-correlated fields in 2 dimensions. It is well known that the log-characteristic polynomial of a uniform unitary matrix converges toward a 1 dimensional log-correlated field, and our first example will be obtained from a dynamical version of this model. The second example will be obtained from a radically different construction, based on the Brownian loop soup that we will introduce. It will lead to a whole family of log-correlated fields. We will focus on the description of the behaviour of these objects, more than on rigorous details.
Gaussian multiplicative chaos measures, Painlevé equations, and conformal blocks
Abstract
Conformal blocks appear in several areas of mathematical physics from random geometry to black hole physics. A probabilistic notion of conformal blocks using gaussian multiplicative chaos measures was recently formulated by Promit Ghosal, Guillaume Remy, Xin Sun, Yi Sun (arxiv:2003.03802). In this talk, I will show that the semiclassical limit of the probabilistic conformal blocks recovers a special case of the elliptic form of Painlevé VI equation, thereby proving a conjecture by Zamolodchikov. This talk is based on an upcoming paper with Promit Ghosal and Andrei Prokhorov.
Entanglement negativity and mutual information after a quantum quench: Exact link from space-time duality
Abstract
I will present recent results on the growth of entanglement between two adjacent regions in a tripartite, one-dimensional many-body system after a quantum quench. Combining a replica trick with a space-time duality transformation a universal relation between the entanglement negativity and Renyi-1/2 mutual information can be derived, which holds at times shorter than the sizes of all subsystems. The proof is directly applicable to any local quantum circuit, i.e., any lattice system in discrete time characterised by local interactions, irrespective of the nature of its dynamics. The derivation indicates that such a relation can be directly extended to any system where information spreads with a finite maximal velocity. The talk is based on Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 140503 (2022).
On the asymptotic analysis of the Calogero-Painlevé systems and the Tracy-Widom$_\beta$ distribution for $\beta$=6
Abstract
The Calogero-Painlevé systems were introduced in 2001 by K. Takasaki as a natural generalization of the classical Painlevé equations to the case of the several Painlevé “particles” coupled via the Calogero type interactions. In 2014, I. Rumanov discovered a remarkable fact that a particular case of the Calogero– Painlevé II equation describes the Tracy-Widom distribution function for the general $\beta$-ensembles with the even values of parameter $\beta$. in 2017 work of M. Bertola, M. Cafasso , and V. Rubtsov, it was proven that all Calogero-Painlevé systems are Lax integrable, and hence their solutions admit a Riemann-Hilbert representation. This important observation has opened the door to rigorous asymptotic analysis of the Calogero-Painlevé equations which in turn yields the possibility of rigorous evaluation of the asymptotic behavior of the Tracy-Widom distributions for the values of $\beta$ beyond the classical $\beta =1, 2, 4$. In the talk these recent developments will be outlined with a special focus on the Calogero-Painlevé system corresponding to $\beta = 6$. This is a joint work with Andrei Prokhorov.
Seminar Cancelled
Universal characteristics of deep neural network loss surfaces from random matrix theory
Abstract
Neural networks are the most practically successful class of models in modern machine learning, but there are considerable gaps in the current theoretical understanding of their properties and success. Several authors have applied models and tools from random matrix theory to shed light on a variety of aspects of neural network theory, however the genuine applicability and relevance of these results is in question. Most works rely on modelling assumptions to reduce large, complex matrices (such as the Hessians of neural networks) to something close to a well-understood canonical RMT ensemble to which all the sophisticated machinery of RMT can be applied to yield insights and results. There is experimental work, however, that appears to contradict these assumptions. In this talk, we will explore what can be derived about neural networks starting from RMT assumptions that are much more general than considered by prior work. Our main results start from justifiable assumptions on the local statistics of neural network Hessians and make predictions about their spectra than we can test experimentally on real-world neural networks. Overall, we will argue that familiar ideas from RMT universality are at work in the background, producing practical consequences for modern deep neural networks.
Analysis of solitonic interactions and random matrix theory
Abstract
I will describe the interaction between a single soliton and a gas of solitons, providing for the first time a mathematical justification for the kinetic theory as posited by Zakharov in the 1970s. Then I will explain how to use random matrix theory to introduce randomness into a large collection of solitons.
Extreme eigenvalues of the Jacobi Ensembles
Abstract
The Jacobi Ensembles of random matrices have joint distribution of eigenvalues proportional to the integration measure in the Selberg integral. They can also be realised as the singular values of principal submatrices of random unitaries. In this talk we will review some old and new results concerning the distribution of the largest and smallest eigenvalues.
Averaging over approximate CFTs
Abstract
In this talk, I will investigate the origin of Euclidean wormholes in the gravitational part integral in the context of AdS/CFT. These geometries are confusing since they prevent products of partition functions to factorize, as they should in any quantum mechanical system. I will briefly review the different proposals for the origin of these wormholes, one of which is that one should consider ensemble of average of boundary systems instead of a fixed quantum system with a fixed Hamiltonian. I will explain that it seems unlikely that one can average over CFTs and present a new idea: averaging over approximate CFTs, which I will define. I will then study the variance of the crossing equation in an ensemble relevant for 3d gravity. Based on work in progress with de Boer, Jafferis, Nayak and Sonner.
This seminar has been canceled.
Magic squares and the symmetric group
Abstract
In 2004, Diaconis and Gamburd computed statistics of secular coefficients in the circular unitary ensemble. They expressed the moments of the secular coefficients in terms of counts of magic squares. Their proof relied on the RSK correspondence. We'll present a combinatorial proof of their result, involving the characteristic map. The combinatorial proof is quite flexible and can handle other statistics as well. We'll connect the result and its proof to old and new questions in number theory, by formulating integer and function field analogues of the result, inspired by the Random Matrix Theory model for L-functions.
Partly based on the arXiv preprint https://arxiv.org/abs/2102.11966
Correlations of the Riemann Zeta on the critical line
Abstract
In this talk we will discuss the correlations of the Riemann Zeta in various ranges, and prove a new result for correlations of squares. This problem is closely related to correlations of the characteristic polynomial of CUE with a very subtle difference. We will explain where this difference comes from, and what it means for the moments of moments of the Riemann Zeta, and its maximum in short intervals.
Note the unusual venue.
Random landscape built by superposition of random plane waves
Abstract
Characterising the statistical properties of high dimensional random functions has been one of the central focus of the theory of disordered systems, and notably spin glasses, over the last decades. Applications to machine learning via deep neural network has seen a resurgence of interest towards this problem in recent years. The simplest yet non-trivial quantity to characterise these landscapes is the annealed total complexity, i.e. the rate of exponential growth of the average number of stationary points (or equilibria) with the dimension of the underlying space. A paradigmatic model for such random landscape in the $N$-dimensional Euclidean space consists of an isotropic harmonic confinement and a Gaussian random function, with rotationally and translationally invariant covariance [1]. The total annealed complexity in this model has been shown to display a ”topology trivialisation transition”: for weak confinement, the number of stationary points is exponentially large (positive complexity) while for strong confinement there is typically a single stationary point (zero complexity).
In this talk, I will present recent results obtained for a distinct exactly solvable model of random lanscape in the $N$-dimensional Euclidean space where the random Gaussian function is replaced by a superposition of $M > N$ random plane waves [2]. In this model, we compute the total annealed complexity in the limit $N\rightarrow\infty$ with $\alpha = M/N$ fixed and find, in contrast to the scenario exposed above, that the complexity remains strictly positive for any finite value of the confinement strength. Hence, there is no ”topology trivialisation transition” for this model, which seems to be a representative of a distinct class of universality.
References:
[1] Y. V. Fyodorov, Complexity of Random Energy Landscapes, Glass Transition, and Absolute Value of the Spectral Determinant of Random Matrices, Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 240601 (2004) Erratum: Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 149901(E) (2004).
[2] B. Lacroix-A-Chez-Toine, S. Belga-Fedeli, Y. V. Fyodorov, Superposition of Random Plane Waves in High Spatial Dimensions: Random Matrix Approach to Landscape Complexity, arXiv preprint arXiv:2202.03815, submitted to J. Math. Phys.
Random matrix theory as a tool for analysing biological data
Abstract
The sinoatrial node (SAN) is the pacemaker region of the heart.
Recently calcium signals, believed to be crucially important in heart
rhythm generation, have been imaged in intact SAN and shown to be
heterogeneous in various regions of the SAN. However, calcium imaging
is noisy, and the calcium signal heterogeneity has not been
mathematically analyzed to distinguish meaningful signals from
randomness or to identify signalling regions in an objective way. In
this work we apply methods of random matrix theory (RMT) developed for
financial data and used for analysis of various biological data sets
including β-cell collectives and EEG data. We find eigenvalues of the
correlation matrix that deviate from RMT predictions, and thus are not
explained by randomness but carry additional meaning. We use
localization properties of the eigenvectors corresponding to high
eigenvalues to locate particular signalling modules. We find that the
top eigenvector captures a common response of the SAN to action
potential. In some cases, the eigenvector corresponding to the second
highest eigenvalue appears to yield a possible pacemaker region as its
calcium signals predate the action potential. Next we study the
relationship between covariance coefficients and distance and find
that there are long range correlations, indicating intercellular
interactions in most cases. Lastly, we perform an analysis of nearest
neighbor eigenvalue distances and find that it coincides with the
universal Wigner surmise. On the other hand, the number variance,
which captures eigenvalue correlations, is a parameter that is
sensitive to experimental conditions. Thus RMT application to SAN
allows to remove noise and the global effects of the action potential
and thereby isolate the correlations in calcium signalling which are
local. This talk is based on joint work with Chloe Norris with a
preprint found here:
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.25.482007v1.
Fluctuations of the Characteristic Polynomial of Random Jacobi Matrices
Abstract
The characteristic polynomial of a random Hermitian matrix induces naturally a field on the real line. In the case of the Gaussian Unitary ensemble (GUE), this fields is expected to have a very special correlation structure: the logarithm of this field is log-correlated and its maximum is at the heart of a conjecture from Fyodorov and Simm predicting its asymptotic behavior. As a first step in this direction, we obtained in collaboration with R. Butez and O. Zeitouni, a central limit theorem for the logarithm of the characteristic polynomial of the Gaussian beta Ensembles and for a certain class of random Jacobi matrices. In this talk, I will explain how the tridiagonal representation of the GUE and orthogonal polynomials techniques allow us to analyse the fluctuations of the characteristic polynomial.
Emergent random matrix behaviour in dual-unitary circuit dynamics
Abstract
The dynamics of quantum many-body systems is intricately related to random matrix theory (RMT), to such a degree that quantum chaos is even defined through random matrix level statistics. However, exact results on this connection are typically precluded by the exponentially large Hilbert space. After a short introduction to the role of RMT in many-body dynamics, I will show how dual-unitary circuits present a minimal model of quantum chaos where this connection can be made rigorous. This will be illustrated using a new kind of emergent random matrix behaviour following a quantum quench: starting from a time-evolved state, an ensemble of pure states supported on a small subsystem can be generated by performing projective measurements on the remainder of the system, leading to a projected ensemble. In chaotic quantum systems it was conjectured that such projected ensembles become indistinguishable from the uniform Haar-random ensemble and lead to a quantum state design, which can be shown to hold exactly in dual-unitary circuit dynamics.
Learning Rates as a Function of Batch Size: A Random Matrix Theory Approach to Neural Network Training
Abstract
In this talk we cover recent work in collaboration with Diego Granziol and Steve Roberts where we study the effect of mini-batching on the loss landscape of deep neural networks using spiked, field-dependent random matrix theory. We demonstrate that the magnitude of the extremal values of the batch Hessian are larger than those of the empirical Hessian and derive an analytical expressions for the maximal learning rates as a function of batch size, informing practical training regimens for both stochastic gradient descent (linear scaling) and adaptive algorithms, such as Adam (square root scaling), for smooth, non-convex deep neural networks. Whilst the linear scaling for stochastic gradient descent has been derived under more restrictive conditions, which we generalise, the square root scaling rule for adaptive optimisers is, to our knowledge, completely novel. For stochastic second-order methods and adaptive methods, we derive that the minimal damping coefficient is proportional to the ratio of the learning rate to batch size. We validate our claims on the VGG/WideResNet architectures on the CIFAR-100 and ImageNet datasets.
CLTs for Pair Dependent Statistics of Circular Beta Ensembles
Abstract
In this talk, we give an overview of recent results on the fluctuation of the statistic $\sum_{i\neq j} f(L_N(\theta_i-\theta_j))$ for the Circular Beta Ensemble in the global, mesoscopic and local regimes. This work is morally related to Johansson's 1988 CLT for the linear statistic $\sum_i f(\theta_i)$ and Lambert's subsequent 2019 extension to the mesoscopic regime. The special case of the CUE ($\beta=2$) in the local regime $L_N=N$ is motivated by Montgomery's study of pair correlations of the rescaled zeros of the Riemann zeta function. Our techniques are of combinatorial nature for the CUE and analytical for $\beta\neq2$.
A handful of moment computations of characteristic polynomials and their derivatives in the classical compact ensembles
Abstract
I will present a collection of moment computations over the unitary, symplectic and special orthogonal matrix ensembles that I've done throughout my thesis. I will focus on the methods used, the motivation from number theory, the relationship to Painlev\'e equations, and directions for future work.
Non-intersecting Brownian motion and compact Lie groups
Abstract
In many contexts a correspondence has been found between the classical compact groups and certain boundary conditions -- $U(n)$ corresponding to periodic, $USp(2n)$ corresponding to Dirichlet, $SO(2n)$ corresponding to Neumann and $SO(2n+1)$ corresponding to Zaremba. In this talk, I will try to elucidate this correspondence in Lie theoretic terms and in the process relate random matrix theory to Yang-Mills theory, free fermions and modular forms.
On systems of maximal quantum chaos
Abstract
A remarkable feature of chaos in many-body quantum systems is the existence of a bound on the quantum Lyapunov exponent. An important question is to understand what is special about maximally chaotic systems which saturate this bound. Here I will discuss a proposal for a `hydrodynamic' origin of chaos in such systems, and discuss hallmarks of maximally chaotic systems. In particular I will discuss how in maximally chaotic systems there is a suppression of exponential growth in commutator squares of generic few-body operators. This suppression appears to indicate that the nature of operator scrambling in maximally chaotic systems is fundamentally different to scrambling in non-maximally chaotic systems.
Note the unusual time and date
Gaussian Multiplicative Chaos for Gaussian Orthogonal and Symplectic Ensembles
Abstract
In recent years, our understanding of the asymptotic behavior of characteristic polynomials of random matrices has seen much progression. A key paradigm in this area is that the asymptotic behavior is often captured by an appropriate family of Gaussian multiplicative chaos (GMC) measures (defined heuristically as the normalized exponential of log-correlated random fields). Indeed, such results have been shown for Harr distributed matrices for U(N), O(N), and Sp(2N), as well as for one-cut Hermitian invariant ensembles (and in particular, GUE(N)). In this talk we explain an extension of these results to GOE(2N) and GSE(N). The key tool is a new asymptotic relation between the moments of the characteristic polynomials of all three classical ensembles.
Quantum chaos and integrable structures in quantum resonant systems
Abstract
I will present a study of integrable structures and quantum chaos in a class of infinite-dimensional though computationally tractable models, called quantum resonant systems. These models, together with their classical counterparts, emerge in various areas of physics, such as nonlinear dynamics in anti-de Sitter spacetime, but also in Bose-Einstein condensate physics. The class of classical models displays a wide range of integrable properties, such as the existence of Lax pairs, partial solvability or generic chaotic dynamics. This opens a window to investigate these properties from the perspective of the corresponding quantum theory by effectively diagonalising finite-sized matrices and exploring level spacing statistics. We will furthermore analyse the implications of the symmetries for the spectrum of resonant models with partial solvability and discuss how the rich integrable structures can be exploited to constructed novel quantum coherent states that effectively capture sophisticated nonlinear solutions in the classical theory.
The Ratios Conjecture over function fields
Abstract
I will talk about some recent joint work with H. Bui and J. Keating where we study the Ratios Conjecture for the family of quadratic L-functions over function fields. I will also discuss the closely related problem of obtaining upper bounds for negative moments of L-functions, which allows us to obtain partial results towards the Ratios Conjecture in the case of one over one, two over two and three over three L-functions.
Can one hear a real symmetric matrix?
Abstract
The question asked in the title is addressed from two points of view: First, we show that providing enough (term to be explained) spectral data, suffices to reconstruct uniquely generic (term to be explained) matrices. The method is well defined but requires somewhat cumbersome computations. Second, restricting the attention to banded matrices with band-width much smaller than the dimension, one can provide more spectral data than the number of unknown matrix elements. We make use of this redundancy to reconstruct generic banded matrices in a much more straight-forward fashion where the “cumbersome computations” can be skipped over. Explicit criteria for a matrix to be in the non-generic set are provided.
Hermitian matrix model with non-trivial covariance and relations to quantum field theory
Abstract
Hermitian matrix models with non-trivial covariance will be introduced. The Kontsevich Model is the prime example, which was used to prove Witten's conjecture about the generating function of intersection numbers of the moduli space $\overline{\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}$. However, we will discuss these models in a different direction, namely as a quantum field theory. As a formal matrix model, the correlation functions of these models have a unique combinatorial/perturbative interpretation in the sense of Feynman diagrams. In particular, the additional structure (in comparison to ordinary quantum field theories) gives the possibility to compute exact expressions, which are resummations of infinitely many Feynman diagrams. For the easiest topologies, these exact expressions (given by implicitly defined functions) will be presented and discussed. If time remains, higher topologies are discussed by a connection to Topological Recursion.
Unitary Invariant Ensembles and Symmetric Function Theory
Abstract
In this talk, we use tools from representation theory and symmetric function theory to compute correlations of eigenvalues of unitary invariant ensembles. This approach provides a route to write exact formulae for the correlations, which further allows us to extract large matrix asymptotics and study universal properties.
Random Matrix Theory for the Black Hole Interior
Abstract
In recent years a fruitful interplay has been unfolding between quantum chaos and black holes. In the first part of the talk, I provide a sampler of these developments. Next, we study the fate of the black hole interior at late times in simple models of quantum gravity that have dual descriptions in terms of Random Matrix Theory. We find that the volume of the interior grows linearly at early times and then, due to non-perturbative effects, saturates at a time and towards a value that are exponentially large in the entropy of the black hole. This provides a confirmation of the complexity equals volume proposal of Susskind, since in chaotic systems complexity is also expected to exhibit the same behavior.
NOTE UNUSUAL DAY AND TIME: Monday/12:45pm
Exact correlations in topological quantum chains
Abstract
Free fermion chains are particularly simple exactly solvable models. Despite this, typically one can find closed expressions for physically important correlators only in certain asymptotic limits. For a particular class of chains, I will show that we can apply Day's formula and Gorodetsky's formula for Toeplitz determinants with rational generating function. This leads to simple closed expressions for determinantal order parameters and the characteristic polynomial of the correlation matrix. The latter result allows us to prove that the ground state of the chain has an exact matrix-product state representation.