Edge-reinforced random walk, Vertex-Reinforced Jump Process and the supersymmetric hyperbolic sigma model

Abstract

Edge-reinforced random walk (ERRW), introduced by Coppersmith and Diaconis in 1986, is a random process, which takes values in the vertex set of a graph $G$, and is more likely to cross edges it has visited before. We show that it can be represented in terms of a Vertex-reinforced jump process (VRJP) with independent gamma conductances: the VRJP was conceived by Werner and first studied by Davis and Volkov (2002,2004), and is a continuous-time process favouring sites with more local time. We calculate, for any finite graph $G$, the limiting measure of the centred occupation time measure of VRJP, and interpret it as a supersymmetric hyperbolic sigma model in quantum field theory, introduced by Zirnbauer (1991). This enables us to deduce that VRJP and ERRW are positive recurrent in any dimension for large reinforcement, and that VRJP is transient in dimension greater than or equal to 3 for small reinforcement, using results of Disertori and Spencer (2010), Disertori, Spencer and Zirnbauer (2010).