arXiv subjects

Djalil Chafai

Publications and source records attributed to Djalil Chafai.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

On Poincare and logarithmic Sobolev inequalities for a class of singular Gibbs measures

This note, mostly expository, is devoted to Poincar{é} and log-Sobolev inequalities for a class of Boltzmann-Gibbs measures with singular interaction. Such measures allow to model one-dimensional particles with confinement and singular pair interaction. The functional inequalities come from convexity. We prove and characterize optimality in the case of quadratic confinement via a factorization of the measure. This optimality phenomenon holds for all beta Hermite ensembles including the Gaussian unitary ensemble, a famous exactly solvable model of random matrix theory. We further explore exact solvability by reviewing the relation to Dyson-Ornstein-Uhlenbeck diffusion dynamics admitting the Hermite-Lassalle orthogonal polynomials as a complete set of eigenfunctions. We also discuss the consequence of the log-Sobolev inequality in terms of concentration of measure for Lipschitz functions such as maxima and linear statistics.

math.PR↗

arXiv2018

On the spectral radius of a random matrix: an upper bound without fourth moment

Consider a square matrix with independent and identically distributed entries of zero mean and unit variance. It is well known that if the entries have a finite fourth moment, then, in high dimension, with high probability, the spectral radius is close to the square root of the dimension. We conjecture that this holds true under the sole assumption of zero mean and unit variance, in other words that there are no outliers in the circular law. In this work we establish the conjecture in the case of symmetrically distributed entries with a finite moment of order larger than two. The proof uses the method of moments combined with a novel truncation technique for cycle weights that might be of independent interest.

math.CO↗

arXiv2018

Dynamics of a planar Coulomb gas

We study the long-time behavior of the dynamics of interacting planar Brow-nian particles, confined by an external field and subject to a singular pair repulsion. The invariant law is an exchangeable Boltzmann -- Gibbs measure. For a special inverse temperature, it matches the Coulomb gas known as the complex Ginibre ensemble. The difficulty comes from the interaction which is not convex, in contrast with the case of one-dimensional log-gases associated with the Dyson Brownian Motion. Despite the fact that the invariant law is neither product nor log-concave, we show that the system is well-posed for any inverse temperature and that Poincar{é} inequalities are available. Moreover the second moment dynamics turns out to be a nice Cox -- Ingersoll -- Ross process in which the dependency over the number of particles leads to identify two natural regimes related to the behavior of the noise and the speed of the dynamics.

math-ph↗

arXiv2017

Concentration for Coulomb gases and Coulomb transport inequalities

We study the non-asymptotic behavior of Coulomb gases in dimension two and more. Such gases are modeled by an exchangeable Boltzmann-Gibbs measure with a singular two-body interaction. We obtain concentration of measure inequalities for the empirical distribution of such gases around their equilibrium measure, with respect to bounded Lipschitz and Wasserstein distances. This implies macroscopic as well as mesoscopic convergence in such distances. In particular, we improve the concentration inequalities known for the empirical spectral distribution of Ginibre random matrices. Our approach is remarkably simple and bypasses the use of renormalized energy. It crucially relies on new inequalities between probability metrics, including Coulomb transport inequalities which can be of independent interest. Our work is inspired by the one of Ma{ï}da and Maurel-Segala, itself inspired by large deviations techniques. Our approach allows to recover, extend, and simplify previous results by Rougerie and Serfaty.

math-ph↗

arXiv2014

Spectrum of Markov generators on sparse random graphs

We investigate the spectrum of the infinitesimal generator of the continuous time random walk on a randomly weighted oriented graph. This is the non-Hermitian random nxn matrix L defined by L(j,k)=X(j,k) if k<>j and L(j,j)=-sum(L(j,k),k<>j), where X(j,k) are i.i.d. random weights. Under mild assumptions on the law of the weights, we establish convergence as n tends to infinity of the empirical spectral distribution of L after centering and rescaling. In particular, our assumptions include sparse random graphs such as the oriented Erdös-Rényi graph where each edge is present independently with probability p(n)->0 as long as np(n) >> (log(n))^6. The limiting distribution is characterized as an additive Gaussian deformation of the standard circular law. In free probability terms, this coincides with the Brown measure of the free sum of the circular element and a normal operator with Gaussian spectral measure. The density of the limiting distribution is analyzed using a subordination formula. Furthermore, we study the convergence of the invariant measure of L to the uniform distribution and establish estimates on the extremal eigenvalues of L.

math.PR↗

arXiv2013

Circular law for random matrices with unconditional log-concave distribution

We explore the validity of the circular law for random matrices with non i.i.d. entries. Let A be a random n \times n real matrix having as a random vector in R^{n^2} a log-concave isotropic unconditional law. In particular, the entries are uncorellated and have a symmetric law of zero mean and unit variance. This allows for some dependence and non equidistribution among the entries, while keeping the special case of i.i.d. standard Gaussian entries. Our main result states that as n goes to infinity, the empirical spectral distribution of n^{-1/2}A tends to the uniform law on the unit disc of the complex plane.

math.PR↗

arXiv2012

Around the circular law

These expository notes are centered around the circular law theorem, which states that the empirical spectral distribution of a nxn random matrix with i.i.d. entries of variance 1/n tends to the uniform law on the unit disc of the complex plane as the dimension $n$ tends to infinity. This phenomenon is the non-Hermitian counterpart of the semi circular limit for Wigner random Hermitian matrices, and the quarter circular limit for Marchenko-Pastur random covariance matrices. We present a proof in a Gaussian case, due to Silverstein, based on a formula by Ginibre, and a proof of the universal case by revisiting the approach of Tao and Vu, based on the Hermitization of Girko, the logarithmic potential, and the control of the small singular values. Beyond the finite variance model, we also consider the case where the entries have heavy tails, by using the objective method of Aldous and Steele borrowed from randomized combinatorial optimization. The limiting law is then no longer the circular law and is related to the Poisson weighted infinite tree. We provide a weak control of the smallest singular value under weak assumptions, using asymptotic geometric analysis tools. We also develop a quaternionic Cauchy-Stieltjes transform borrowed from the Physics literature.

math.PR↗

arXiv2011

Spectrum of non-Hermitian heavy tailed random matrices

Let (X_{jk})_{j,k>=1} be i.i.d. complex random variables such that |X_{jk}| is in the domain of attraction of an alpha-stable law, with 0< alpha <2. Our main result is a heavy tailed counterpart of Girko's circular law. Namely, under some additional smoothness assumptions on the law of X_{jk}, we prove that there exists a deterministic sequence a_n ~ n^{1/alpha} and a probability measure mu_alpha on C depending only on alpha such that with probability one, the empirical distribution of the eigenvalues of the rescaled matrix a_n^{-1} (X_{jk})_{1<=j,k<=n} converges weakly to mu_alpha as n tends to infinity. Our approach combines Aldous & Steele's objective method with Girko's Hermitization using logarithmic potentials. The underlying limiting object is defined on a bipartized version of Aldous' Poisson Weighted Infinite Tree. Recursive relations on the tree provide some properties of mu_alpha. In contrast with the Hermitian case, we find that mu_alpha is not heavy tailed.

math.PR↗

arXiv2011

Central limit theorems for additive functionals of ergodic Markov diffusions processes

We revisit functional central limit theorems for additive functionals of ergodic Markov diffusion processes. Translated in the language of partial differential equations of evolution, they appear as diffusion limits in the asymptotic analysis of Fokker-Planck type equations. We focus on the square integrable framework, and we provide tractable conditions on the infinitesimal generator, including degenerate or anomalously slow diffusions. We take advantage on recent developments in the study of the trend to the equilibrium of ergodic diffusions. We discuss examples and formulate open problems.

math.PR↗

arXiv2010

Circular Law Theorem for Random Markov Matrices

Consider an nxn random matrix X with i.i.d. nonnegative entries with bounded density, mean m, and finite positive variance sigma^2. Let M be the nxn random Markov matrix with i.i.d. rows obtained from X by dividing each row of X by its sum. In particular, when X11 follows an exponential law, then M belongs to the Dirichlet Markov Ensemble of random stochastic matrices. Our main result states that with probability one, the counting probability measure of the complex spectrum of n^(1/2)M converges weakly as n tends to infinity to the uniform law on the centered disk of radius sigma/m. The bounded density assumption is purely technical and comes from the way we control the operator norm of the resolvent.

math.PR↗

arXiv2010

Spectrum of large random reversible Markov chains: two examples

We take on a Random Matrix theory viewpoint to study the spectrum of certain reversible Markov chains in random environment. As the number of states tends to infinity, we consider the global behavior of the spectrum, and the local behavior at the edge, including the so called spectral gap. Results are obtained for two simple models with distinct limiting features. The first model is built on the complete graph while the second is a birth-and-death dynamics. Both models give rise to random matrices with non independent entries.

math.PR↗

arXiv2010

Circular law for non-central random matrices

Let $(X_{jk})_{j,k\geq 1}$ be an infinite array of i.i.d. complex random variables, with mean 0 and variance 1. Let $\la_{n,1},...,\la_{n,n}$ be the eigenvalues of $(\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}X_{jk})_{1\leq j,k\leq n}$. The strong circular law theorem states that with probability one, the empirical spectral distribution $\frac{1}{n}(\de_{\la_{n,1}}+...+\de_{\la_{n,n}})$ converges weakly as $n\to\infty$ to the uniform law over the unit disc $\{z\in\dC;|z|\leq1\}$. In this short note, we provide an elementary argument that allows to add a deterministic matrix $M$ to $(X_{jk})_{1\leq j,k\leq n}$ provided that $\mathrm{Tr}(MM^*)=O(n^2)$ and $\mathrm{rank}(M)=O(n^\al)$ with $\al<1$. Conveniently, the argument is similar to the one used for the non-central version of Wigner's and Marchenko-Pastur theorems.

math.PR↗

arXiv2009

On the long time behavior of the TCP window size process

The TCP window size process appears in the modeling of the famous Transmission Control Protocol used for data transmission over the Internet. This continuous time Markov process takes its values in $[0,\infty)$, is ergodic and irreversible. It belongs to the Additive Increase Multiplicative Decrease class of processes. The sample paths are piecewise linear deterministic and the whole randomness of the dynamics comes from the jump mechanism. Several aspects of this process have already been investigated in the literature. In the present paper, we mainly get quantitative estimates for the convergence to equilibrium, in terms of the $W_1$ Wasserstein coupling distance, for the process and also for its embedded chain.

math.PR↗

arXiv2009

On fine properties of mixtures with respect to concentration of measure and Sobolev type inequalities

Mixtures are convex combinations of laws. Despite this simple definition, a mixture can be far more subtle than its mixed components. For instance, mixing Gaussian laws may produce a potential with multiple deep wells. We study in the present work fine properties of mixtures with respect to concentration of measure and Sobolev type functional inequalities. We provide sharp Laplace bounds for Lipschitz functions in the case of generic mixtures, involving a transportation cost diameter of the mixed family. Additionally, our analysis of Sobolev type inequalities for two-component mixtures reveals natural relations with some kind of band isoperimetry and support constrained interpolation via mass transportation. We show that the Poincaré constant of a two-component mixture may remain bounded as the mixture proportion goes to 0 or 1 while the logarithmic Sobolev constant may surprisingly blow up. This counter-intuitive result is not reducible to support disconnections, and appears as a reminiscence of the variance-entropy comparison on the two-point space. As far as mixtures are concerned, the logarithmic Sobolev inequality is less stable than the Poincaré inequality and the sub-Gaussian concentration for Lipschitz functions. We illustrate our results on a gallery of concrete two-component mixtures. This work leads to many open questions.

math.PR↗

arXiv2009

The Dirichlet Markov Ensemble

We equip the polytope of $n\times n$ Markov matrices with the normalized trace of the Lebesgue measure of $\mathbb{R}^{n^2}$. This probability space provides random Markov matrices, with i.i.d. rows following the Dirichlet distribution of mean $(1/n,...,1/n)$. We show that if $\bM$ is such a random matrix, then the empirical distribution built from the singular values of$\sqrt{n} \bM$ tends as $n\to\infty$ to a Wigner quarter--circle distribution. Some computer simulations reveal striking asymptotic spectral properties of such random matrices, still waiting for a rigorous mathematical analysis. In particular, we believe that with probability one, the empirical distribution of the complex spectrum of $\sqrt{n} \bM$ tends as $n\to\infty$ to the uniform distribution on the unit disc of the complex plane, and that moreover, the spectral gap of $\bM$ is of order $1-1/\sqrt{n}$ when $n$ is large.

math.PR↗

arXiv2009

Asymptotic analysis and diffusion limit of the Persistent Turning Walker Model

The Persistent Turning Walker Model (PTWM) was introduced by Gautrais et al in Mathematical Biology for the modelling of fish motion. It involves a nonlinear pathwise functional of a non-elliptic hypo-elliptic diffusion. This diffusion solves a kinetic Fokker-Planck equation based on an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Gaussian process. The long time "diffusive" behavior of this model was recently studied by Degond & Motsch using partial differential equations techniques. This model is however intrinsically probabilistic. In the present paper, we show how the long time diffusive behavior of this model can be essentially recovered and extended by using appropriate tools from stochastic analysis. The approach can be adapted to many other kinetic "probabilistic" models.

math.AP↗

arXiv2008

Confidence regions for the multinomial parameter with small sample size

Consider the observation of n iid realizations of an experiment with d>1 possible outcomes, which corresponds to a single observation of a multinomial distribution M(n,p) where p is an unknown discrete distribution on {1,...,d}. In many applications, the construction of a confidence region for p when n is small is crucial. This concrete challenging problem has a long history. It is well known that the confidence regions built from asymptotic statistics do not have good coverage when n is small. On the other hand, most available methods providing non-asymptotic regions with controlled coverage are limited to the binomial case d=2. In the present work, we propose a new method valid for any d>1. This method provides confidence regions with controlled coverage and small volume, and consists of the inversion of the "covering collection"' associated with level-sets of the likelihood. The behavior when d/n tends to infinity remains an interesting open problem beyond the scope of this work.

stat.CO↗

arXiv2008

A new method for the estimation of variance matrix with prescribed zeros in nonlinear mixed effects models

We propose a new method for the Maximum Likelihood Estimator (MLE) of nonlinear mixed effects models when the variance matrix of Gaussian random effects has a prescribed pattern of zeros (PPZ). The method consists in coupling the recently developed Iterative Conditional Fitting (ICF) algorithm with the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm. It provides positive definite estimates for any sample size, and does not rely on any structural assumption on the PPZ. It can be easily adapted to many versions of EM.

stat.ME↗