A phase transition for the biased tree-builder random walk

Abstract

We consider a recent model of random walk that recursively grows the network on which it evolves, namely the Tree Builder Random Walk (TBRW). We introduce a bias $\rho \in (0,\infty)$ towards the root, and exhibit a phase transition for transience/recurrence at a critical threshold $\rho_c =1+2\overline{\nu}$, where $\overline{\nu}$ is the (possibly infinite) expected number of new leaves attached to the walker's position at each step. This generalizes previously known results, which focused on the unbiased case $\rho=1$. The proofs rely on a recursive analysis of the local times of the walk at each vertex of the tree, after a given number of returns to the root. We moreover characterize the strength of the transience (law of large numbers and central limit theorem with positive speed) via standard arguments, establish recurrence at $\rho_c$, and show a condensation phenomenon in the non-critical recurrent case.