arXiv subjects

Dan Romik

Publications and source records attributed to Dan Romik.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Jeu de taquin forests and the inverse infinite RSK correspondence

The Plancherel-random infinite Young tableau arises from applying the infinite Robinson-Schensted-Knuth (RSK) correspondence to a sequence of i.i.d. random variables distributed uniformly on the unit interval [0,1]. Building on the isomorphism of dynamical systems established in prior work, we provide an explicit geometric characterization of the inverse map. Our approach makes use of a previously unexplored structure, the jeu de taquin forest on the infinite tableau, where edges connect boxes according to local comparison rules. We prove that each tree in this forest almost surely extends toward infinity with a well-defined asymptotic direction, establishing a canonical bijection between trees and values in the i.i.d. input sequence. The ordering is recovered through tree lifetimes under iterated jeu de taquin transformations.

math.PR↗

arXiv2023

On Viazovska's modular form inequalities

Viazovska proved that the $E_8$ lattice sphere packing is the densest sphere packing in 8 dimensions. Her proof relies on two inequalities between functions defined in terms of modular and quasimodular forms. We give a direct proof of these inequalities that does not rely on computer calculations.

math.NT↗

arXiv2020

Sorting networks, staircase Young tableaux and last passage percolation

We present new combinatorial and probabilistic identities relating three random processes: the oriented swap process on $n$ particles, the corner growth process, and the last passage percolation model. We prove one of the probabilistic identities, relating a random vector of last passage percolation times to its dual, using the duality between the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth and Burge correspondences. A second probabilistic identity, relating those two vectors to a vector of "last swap times" in the oriented swap process, is conjectural. We give a computer-assisted proof of this identity for $n\le 6$ after first reformulating it as a purely combinatorial identity, and discuss its relation to the Edelman-Greene correspondence.

math.CO↗

arXiv2020

Absorbing time asymptotics in the oriented swap process

The oriented swap process is a natural directed random walk on the symmetric group that can be interpreted as a multi-species version of the Totally Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process (TASEP) on a finite interval. An open problem from a 2008 paper of Angel, Holroyd, and Romik asks for the limiting distribution of the absorbing time of the process. We resolve this question by proving that this random variable satisfies GOE Tracy-Widom asymptotics. Our starting point is a distributional identity relating the behavior of the oriented swap process to last passage percolation, conjectured in a recent paper of Bisi, Cunden, Gibbons, and Romik. The main technical tool is a shift-invariance principle for multi-species TASEPs, obtained by exploiting recent results of Borodin, Gorin, and Wheeler for the stochastic colored six-vertex model.

math.PR↗

arXiv2020

The oriented swap process and last passage percolation

We present new probabilistic and combinatorial identities relating three random processes: the oriented swap process on $n$ particles, the corner growth process, and the last passage percolation model. We prove one of the probabilistic identities, relating a random vector of last passage percolation times to its dual, using the duality between the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth and Burge correspondences. A second probabilistic identity, relating those two vectors to a vector of 'last swap times' in the oriented swap process, is conjectural. We give a computer-assisted proof of this identity for $n\le 6$ after first reformulating it as a purely combinatorial identity, and discuss its relation to the Edelman-Greene correspondence. The conjectural identity provides precise finite-$n$ and asymptotic predictions on the distribution of the absorbing time of the oriented swap process, thus conditionally solving an open problem posed by Angel, Holroyd and Romik.

math.PR↗

arXiv2020

Alternative summation orders for the Eisenstein series G2 and Weierstrass p-function

We consider alternative orders of summation for the conditionally convergent series defining the weight-2 Eisenstein series G2 and the Weierstrass p-function. The resulting sums differ from the standard ones by a residual term that can be thought of as a function of the shapes with respect to which we sum. We compute this residual function explicitly and give some examples. The results generalize the well-known quasimodularity relationship between G2 and its series summed in the reverse order.

math.CV↗

arXiv2019

Orthogonal polynomial expansions for the Riemann xi function

We study infinite series expansions for the Riemann xi function $Ξ(t)$ in three specific families of orthogonal polynomials: (1) the Hermite polynomials; (2) the symmetric Meixner-Pollaczek polynomials $P_n^{(3/4)}(x;π/2)$; and (3) the continuous Hahn polynomials $p_n\left(x; \frac34,\frac34,\frac34,\frac34\right)$. The first expansion was discussed in earlier work by Turán, and the other two expansions are new. For each of the three expansions, we derive formulas for the coefficients, show that they appear with alternating signs, derive formulas for their asymptotic behavior, and derive additional interesting properties and relationships. We also apply some of the same techniques to prove a new asymptotic formula for the Taylor coefficients of the Riemann xi function. Our results continue and expand the program of research initiated in the 1950s by Turán, who proposed using the Hermite expansion of the Riemann xi function as a tool to gain insight into the location of the Riemann zeta zeros. We also uncover a connection between Turán's ideas and the separate program of research involving the so-called De Bruijn-Newman constant. Most significantly, the phenomena associated with the new expansions in the Meixner-Pollaczek and continuous Hahn polynomial families suggest that those expansions may be even more natural tools than the Hermite expansion for approaching the Riemann hypothesis and related questions.

math.NT↗

arXiv2018

The Taylor coefficients of the Jacobi theta constant $θ_3$

We study the Taylor expansion around the point $x=1$ of a classical modular form, the Jacobi theta constant $θ_3$. This leads naturally to a new sequence $(d(n))_{n=0}^\infty=1,1,-1,51,849,-26199,\ldots$ of integers, which arise as the Taylor coefficients in the expansion of a related "centered" version of $θ_3$. We prove several results about the numbers $d(n)$ and conjecture that they satisfy the congruence $d(n)\equiv (-1)^{n-1}\ (\textrm{mod }5)$ and other similar congruence relations.

math.NT↗

arXiv2018

Improved upper bounds in the moving sofa problem

The moving sofa problem, posed by L. Moser in 1966, asks for the planar shape of maximal area that can move around a right-angled corner in a hallway of unit width. It is known that a maximal area shape exists, and that its area is at least 2.2195... - the area of an explicit construction found by Gerver in 1992 - and at most $2\sqrt{2}=2.82...$, with the lower bound being conjectured as the true value. We prove a new and improved upper bound of 2.37. The method involves a computer-assisted proof scheme that can be used to rigorously derive further improved upper bounds that converge to the correct value.

math.MG↗

arXiv2016

On the number of n-dimensional representations of SU(3), the Bernoulli numbers, and the Witten zeta function

We derive new results about properties of the Witten zeta function associated with the group SU(3), and use them to prove an asymptotic formula for the number of n-dimensional representations of SU(3) counted up to equivalence. Our analysis also relates the Witten zeta function of SU(3) to a summation identity for Bernoulli numbers discovered in 2008 by Agoh and Dilcher. We give a new proof of that identity and show that it is a special case of a stronger identity involving the Eisenstein series.

math.NT↗

arXiv2016

Differential equations and exact solutions in the moving sofa problem

The moving sofa problem, posed by L. Moser in 1966, asks for the planar shape of maximal area that can move around a right-angled corner in a hallway of unit width, and is conjectured to have as its solution a complicated shape derived by Gerver in 1992. We extend Gerver's techniques by deriving a family of six differential equations arising from the area-maximization property. We then use this result to derive a new shape that we propose as a possible solution to the "ambidextrous moving sofa problem," a variant of the problem previously studied by Conway and others in which the shape is required to be able to negotiate a right-angle turn both to the left and to the right. Unlike Gerver's construction, our new shape can be expressed in closed form, and its boundary is a piecewise algebraic curve. Its area is equal to $X+\arctan Y$, where $X$ and $Y$ are solutions to the cubic equations $x^2(x+3)=8$ and $x(4x^2+3)=1$, respectively.

math.DG↗

arXiv2015

Jeu de taquin dynamics on infinite Young tableaux and second class particles

We study an infinite version of the "jeu de taquin" sliding game, which can be thought of as a natural measure-preserving transformation on the set of infinite Young tableaux equipped with the Plancherel probability measure. We use methods from representation theory to show that the Robinson-Schensted-Knuth ($\operatorname {RSK}$) algorithm gives an isomorphism between this measure-preserving dynamical system and the one-sided shift dynamics on a sequence of independent and identically distributed random variables distributed uniformly on the unit interval. We also show that the jeu de taquin paths induced by the transformation are asymptotically straight lines emanating from the origin in a random direction whose distribution is computed explicitly, and show that this result can be interpreted as a statement on the limiting speed of a second-class particle in the Plancherel-TASEP particle system (a variant of the Totally Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process associated with Plancherel growth), in analogy with earlier results for second class particles in the ordinary TASEP.

math.PR↗

arXiv2014

Bijective combinatorial proof of the commutation of transfer matrices in the dense O(1) loop model

The dense O(1) loop model is a statistical physics model with connections to the quantum XXZ spin chain, alternating sign matrices, the six-vertex model and critical bond percolation on the square lattice. When cylindrical boundary conditions are imposed, the model possesses a commuting family of transfer matrices. The original proof of the commutation property is algebraic and is based on the Yang-Baxter equation. In this paper we give a new proof of this fact using a direct combinatorial bijection.

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

Limit shapes of bumping routes in the Robinson-Schensted correspondence

We prove a limit shape theorem describing the asymptotic shape of bumping routes when the Robinson-Schensted algorithm is applied to a finite sequence of independent, identically distributed random variables with the uniform distribution $U[0,1]$ on the unit interval, followed by an insertion of a deterministic number $α$. The bumping route converges after scaling, in the limit as the length of the sequence tends to infinity, to an explicit, deterministic curve depending only on $α$. This extends our previous result on the asymptotic determinism of Robinson-Schensted insertion, and answers a question posed by Moore in 2006.

math.CO↗

arXiv2013

Connectivity patterns in loop percolation I: the rationality phenomenon and constant term identities

Loop percolation, also known as the dense O(1) loop model, is a variant of critical bond percolation in the square lattice Z^2 whose graph structure consists of a disjoint union of cycles. We study its connectivity pattern, which is a random noncrossing matching associated with a loop percolation configuration. These connectivity patterns exhibit a striking rationality property whereby probabilities of naturally-occurring events are dyadic rational numbers or rational functions of a size parameter n, but the reasons for this are not completely understood. We prove the rationality phenomenon in a few cases and prove an explicit formula expressing the probabilities in the "cylindrical geometry" as coefficients in certain multivariate polynomials. This reduces the rationality problem in the general case to that of proving a family of conjectural constant term identities generalizing an identity due to Di Francesco and Zinn-Justin. Our results make use of, and extend, algebraic techniques related to the quantum Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov equation.

math.PR↗

arXiv2012

New enumeration formulas for alternating sign matrices and square ice partition functions

The refined enumeration of alternating sign matrices (ASMs) of given order having prescribed behavior near one or more of their boundary edges has been the subject of extensive study, starting with the Refined Alternating Sign Matrix Conjecture of Mills-Robbins-Rumsey, its proof by Zeilberger, and more recent work on doubly-refined and triply-refined enumeration by several authors. In this paper we extend the previously known results on this problem by deriving explicit enumeration formulas for the "top-left-bottom" (triply-refined) and "top-left-bottom-right" (quadruply-refined) enumerations. The latter case solves the problem of computing the full boundary correlation function for ASMs. The enumeration formulas are proved by deriving new representations, which are of independent interest, for the partition function of the square ice model with domain wall boundary conditions at the "combinatorial point" 2π/3.

math.CO↗

arXiv2012

Arctic circles, domino tilings and square Young tableaux

The arctic circle theorem of Jockusch, Propp, and Shor asserts that uniformly random domino tilings of an Aztec diamond of high order are frozen with asymptotically high probability outside the "arctic circle" inscribed within the diamond. A similar arctic circle phenomenon has been observed in the limiting behavior of random square Young tableaux. In this paper, we show that random domino tilings of the Aztec diamond are asymptotically related to random square Young tableaux in a more refined sense that looks also at the behavior inside the arctic circle. This is done by giving a new derivation of the limiting shape of the height function of a random domino tiling of the Aztec diamond that uses the large-deviation techniques developed for the square Young tableaux problem in a previous paper by Pittel and the author. The solution of the variational problem that arises for domino tilings is almost identical to the solution for the case of square Young tableaux by Pittel and the author. The analytic techniques used to solve the variational problem provide a systematic, guess-free approach for solving problems of this type which have appeared in a number of related combinatorial probability models.

math.PR↗

arXiv2009

The oriented swap process

Particles labelled $1,...,n$ are initially arranged in increasing order. Subsequently, each pair of neighboring particles that is currently in increasing order swaps according to a Poisson process of rate 1. We analyze the asymptotic behavior of this process as $n\to\infty$. We prove that the space--time trajectories of individual particles converge (when suitably scaled) to a certain family of random curves with two points of non-differentiability, and that the permutation matrix at a given time converges to a certain deterministic measure with absolutely continuous and singular parts. The absorbing state (where all particles are in decreasing order) is reached at time $(2+o(1))n$. The finishing times of individual particles converge to deterministic limits, with fluctuations asymptotically governed by the Tracy--Widom distribution.

math.PR↗