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Christina Goldschmidt

Publications and source records attributed to Christina Goldschmidt.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2009

Behavior near the extinction time in self-similar fragmentations I: the stable case

The stable fragmentation with index of self-similarity $α\in [-1/2,0)$ is derived by looking at the masses of the subtrees formed by discarding the parts of a $(1 + α)^{-1}$--stable continuum random tree below height $t$, for $t \geq 0$. We give a detailed limiting description of the distribution of such a fragmentation, $(F(t), t \geq 0)$, as it approaches its time of extinction, $ζ$. In particular, we show that $t^{1/α}F((ζ- t)^+)$ converges in distribution as $t \to 0$ to a non-trivial limit. In order to prove this, we go further and describe the limiting behavior of (a) an excursion of the stable height process (conditioned to have length 1) as it approaches its maximum; (b) the collection of open intervals where the excursion is above a certain level and (c) the ranked sequence of lengths of these intervals. Our principal tool is excursion theory. We also consider the last fragment to disappear and show that, with the same time and space scalings, it has a limiting distribution given in terms of a certain size-biased version of the law of $ζ$.

math.PR↗
arXiv2007

Fragmenting random permutations

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.

math.PR↗
arXiv2007

Asymptotics of the allele frequency spectrum associated with the Bolthausen-Sznitman coalescent

We work in the context of the infinitely many alleles model. The allelic partition associated with a coalescent process started from n individuals is obtained by placing mutations along the skeleton of the coalescent tree; for each individual, we trace back to the most recent mutation affecting it and group together individuals whose most recent mutations are the same. The number of blocks of each of the different possible sizes in this partition is the allele frequency spectrum. The celebrated Ewens sampling formula gives precise probabilities for the allele frequency spectrum associated with Kingman's coalescent. This (and the degenerate star-shaped coalescent) are the only Lambda coalescents for which explicit probabilities are known, although they are known to satisfy a recursion due to Moehle. Recently, Berestycki, Berestycki and Schweinsberg have proved asymptotic results for the allele frequency spectra of the Beta(2-alpha,alpha) coalescents with alpha in (1,2). In this paper, we prove full asymptotics for the case of the Bolthausen-Sznitman coalescent.

math.PR↗
arXiv2007

Coagulation--fragmentation duality, Poisson--Dirichlet distributions and random recursive trees

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 $\operatorname {PD}(α,θ+1)$ distribution, while the reverse is true for $\mathrm {Coag}_{α,θ}$. This result may be proved using a subordinator representation and it provides a companion set of relations to those of Pitman between $\operatorname {PD}(α,θ)$ and $\operatorname {PD}(αβ,θ)$. Repeated application of the $\mathrm {Frag}_α$ operators gives rise to a family of fragmentation chains. We show that these Markov chains can be encoded naturally by certain random recursive trees, and use this representation to give an alternative and more concrete proof of the coagulation--fragmentation duality.

math.PR↗
arXiv2005

Preservation of log-concavity on summation

We extend Hoggar's theorem that the sum of two independent discrete-valued log-concave random variables is itself log-concave. We introduce conditions under which the result still holds for dependent variables. We argue that these conditions are natural by giving some applications. Firstly, we use our main theorem to give simple proofs of the log-concavity of the Stirling numbers of the second kind and of the Eulerian numbers. Secondly, we prove results concerning the log-concavity of the sum of independent (not necessarily log-concave) random variables.

math.PR↗
arXiv2005

Critical random hypergraphs: The emergence of a giant set of identifiable vertices

We consider a model for random hypergraphs with identifiability, an analogue of connectedness. This model has a phase transition in the proportion of identifiable vertices when the underlying random graph becomes critical. The phase transition takes various forms, depending on the values of the parameters controlling the different types of hyperedges. It may be continuous as in a random graph. (In fact, when there are no higher-order edges, it is exactly the emergence of the giant component.) In this case, there is a sequence of possible sizes of ``components'' (including but not restricted to N^{2/3}). Alternatively, the phase transition may be discontinuous. We are particularly interested in the nature of the discontinuous phase transition and are able to exhibit precise asymptotics. Our method extends a result of Aldous [Ann. Probab. 25 (1997) 812-854] on component sizes in a random graph.

math.PR↗
arXiv2005

Random recursive trees and the Bolthausen-Sznitman coalescent

We describe a representation of the Bolthausen-Sznitman coalescent in terms of the cutting of random recursive trees. Using this representation, we prove results concerning the final collision of the coalescent restricted to [n]: we show that the distribution of the number of blocks involved in the final collision converges as n tends to infinity, and obtain a scaling law for the sizes of these blocks. We also consider the discrete-time Markov chain giving the number of blocks after each collision of the coalescent restricted to [n]; we show that the transition probabilities of the time-reversal of this Markov chain have limits as n tends to infinity. These results can be interpreted as describing a ``post-gelation'' phase of the Bolthausen-Sznitman coalescent, in which a giant cluster containing almost all of the mass has already formed and the remaining small blocks are being absorbed.

math.PR↗
arXiv2004

Essential edges in Poisson random hypergraphs

Consider a random hypergraph on a set of N vertices in which, for k between 1 and N, a Poisson(N beta_k) number of hyperedges is scattered randomly over all subsets of size k. We collapse the hypergraph by running the following algorithm to exhaustion: pick a vertex having a 1-edge and remove it; collapse the hyperedges over that vertex onto their remaining vertices; repeat until there are no 1-edges left. We call the vertices removed in this process "identifiable". Also any hyperedge all of whose vertices are removed is called "identifiable". We say that a hyperedge is "essential" if its removal prior to collapse would have reduced the number of identifiable vertices. The limiting proportions, as N tends to infinity, of identifiable vertices and hyperedges were obtained by Darling and Norris. In this paper, we establish the limiting proportion of essential hyperedges. We also discuss, in the case of a random graph, the relation of essential edges to the 2-core of the graph, the maximal sub-graph with minimal vertex degree 2.

math.PR↗