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Matthew Jenssen

Publications and source records attributed to Matthew Jenssen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

On the self-intersection time of non-backtracking random walks

We study the self-intersection time of the non-backtracking random walk on connected undirected graphs. For every fixed $\Delta \geq 3$ we show that the expected self-intersection time is $O(\sqrt{n} \log n)$ on $n$-vertex graphs with minimum degree at least $3$ and maximum degree at most $\Delta$. For regular graphs with a uniform spectral gap, we improve this to $O(\sqrt{n})$. We also show an $\Omega(\sqrt{n})$ lower bound on a class of regular expanders. Our upper bound on the expected self-intersection time implies an improved mixing time bound on Glauber dynamics for the Ising model on $\Delta$-regular graphs at the tree uniqueness threshold.

math.PR↗
arXiv2026

Uniqueness, analyticity and mixing for Gibbs point processes via spectral gaps

A Gibbs point process models particles interacting in the continuum through a potential. Among the most classical examples is the hard-sphere model, where given an activity parameter $\lambda$, a radius $r$, and a bounded set $\Lambda \subset \mathbb{R}^d$ one samples a Poisson process of intensity $\lambda$ in $\Lambda$ conditioned on the points forming the centers of an $r$-sphere packing. We prove uniqueness of infinite-volume Gibbs measure, analyticity of the pressure, and various notions of spatial and temporal mixing for activities up to what we define as the spectral threshold $\lambda_{spec}$ of the potential. For each fixed dimension $d \geq 2$, this improves the uniqueness and analyticity bounds for the hard-sphere model. As $d \to \infty$, our improvement over the classical bounds grows exponentially. We also prove an optimal mixing time bound for heat bath dynamics for the hard-sphere model up to an expected density of $\Theta(d / 2^d)$, the first result that asymptotically matches the maximum density for rapid mixing predicted by Parisi and Zamponi. We also exhibit repulsive, radial pair potentials for which $\lambda_{spec} = + \infty$, showing that the corresponding Gibbs point processes have no phase transition at any activity $\lambda > 0$. Further, in dimensions $8$ and $24$ we exhibit such a potential with no phase transition for which the work of Cohn-Kumar-Miller-Radchenko-Viazovska proves that the unique ground state at any fixed density is given by the $E_8$ and Leech lattices, respectively. Our work builds upon a 2013 work of Kondratiev-Kuna-Ohlerich that implicitly defined $\lambda_{spec}$ and proved a spectral gap for a Glauber-like continuum birth-death dynamics. Our main work shows that such a spectral gap implies several strong notions of absence of phase transition and analyzes the behavior of $\lambda_{spec}$ for interesting potentials.

math-ph↗
arXiv2026

A simple proof of rapid mixing on random regular graphs beyond uniqueness

A recent breakthrough of Chen, Chen, Chen, Yin, and Zhang shows rapid mixing for Glauber dynamics for the hard-core model on random regular graphs beyond the tree uniqueness threshold. Their approach builds upon the literature of various local-to-global techniques and applies to a more general setting of discrete distributions supported on downward-closed set families. We give a short and self-contained proof via a Bochner--Bakry--\'{E}mery approach and directly show a Poincar\'e inequality by expanding the Dirichlet form in terms of the $L^2$-norm of the generator applied to a test function and eliminating a sum of squares term. Our proof is a streamlined version of an argument of Kondratiev, Kuna, and Ohlerich used to study spatial birth-and-death dynamics for Gibbs point processes in the continuum, which we adapt to the discrete setting.

math.PR↗
arXiv2026

Non-existence probabilities and lower tails in the critical regime via Belief Propagation

We compute the logarithmic asymptotics of the non-existence probability (and more generally the lower-tail probability) for a wide variety of combinatorial problems for a range of parameters in the `critical regime' between the regime amenable to hypergraph container methods and that amenable to Janson's inequality. Examples include lower tails and non-existence probabilities for subgraphs of random graphs and for $k$-term arithmetic progressions in random sets of integers. Our methods apply in the general framework of estimating the probability that a $p$-random subset of vertices in a $k$-uniform hypergraph induces significantly fewer hyperedges than expected. We show that under some simple structural conditions on the hypergraph and an upper bound on $p$ determined by a phase transition in the hard-core model on the infinite $k$-uniform, $Δ$-regular, linear hypertree, this probability can be accurately approximated by the Bethe free energy evaluated at the unique fixed point of a Belief Propagation operator on the hypergraph.

math.CO↗
arXiv2026

A refined graph container lemma and applications to the hard-core model on bipartite expanders

We establish a refined version of a graph container lemma due to Galvin and discuss several applications related to the hard-core model on bipartite expander graphs. Given a graph $G$ and $λ>0$, the hard-core model on $G$ at activity $λ$ is the probability distribution $μ_{G,λ}$ on independent sets in $G$ given by $μ_{G,λ}(I)\propto λ^{|I|}$. As one of our main applications, we show that the hard-core model at activity $λ$ on the hypercube $Q_d$ exhibits a `structured phase' for $λ= Ω( \log^2 d/d^{1/2})$ in the following sense: in a typical sample from $μ_{Q_d,λ}$, most vertices are contained in one side of the bipartition of $Q_d$. This improves upon a result of Galvin which establishes the same for $λ=Ω(\log d/ d^{1/3})$. As another application, we establish a fully polynomial-time approximation scheme (FPTAS) for the hard-core model on a $d$-regular bipartite $α$-expander, with $α>0$ fixed, when $λ= Ω( \log^2 d/d^{1/2})$. This improves upon the bound $λ=Ω(\log d/ d^{1/4})$ due to the first author, Perkins and Potukuchi. We discuss similar improvements to results of Galvin-Tetali, Balogh-Garcia-Li and Kronenberg-Spinka.

math.CO↗
arXiv2026

On the number of antichains in $\{0,1,2\}^n$

We provide precise asymptotics for the number of antichains in the poset $\{0,1,2\}^n$, answering a question of Sapozhenko. Finding improved estimates for this number was also a problem suggested by Noel, Scott, and Sudakov, who obtained asymptotics for the logarithm of the number. Key ingredients for the proof include a graph-container lemma to bound the number of expanding sets in a class of irregular graphs, isoperimetric inequalities for generalizations of the Boolean lattice, and methods from statistical physics based on the cluster expansion.

math.CO↗
arXiv2025

On the evolution of structure in triangle-free graphs

We study the typical structure and the number of triangle-free graphs with $n$ vertices and $m$ edges where $m$ is large enough so that a typical triangle-free graph has a cut containing nearly all of its edges, but may not be bipartite. Erdős, Kleitman, and Rothschild showed that almost every triangle-free graph is bipartite. Osthus, Prömel, and Taraz later showed that for $m \ge (1+ε)\frac{\sqrt{3}}{4}n^{3/2}\sqrt{\log n}$, almost every triangle-free graph on $n$ vertices and $m$ edges is bipartite. Here we give a precise characterization of the distribution of edges within each part of the max cut of a uniformly chosen triangle-free graph $G$ on $n$ vertices and $m$ edges, for a larger range of densities with $m=Θ(n^{3/2} \sqrt{\log n})$. Using this characterization, we describe the evolution of the structure of typical triangle-free graphs as the density changes. We show that as the number of edges decreases below $\frac{\sqrt{3}}{4} n^{3/2}\sqrt{\log n}$, the following structural changes occur in $G$: -Isolated edges, then trees, then more complex subgraphs emerge as `defect edges', edges within parts of a max cut of $G$. The distribution of defect edges is first that of independent Erdős-Rényi random graphs, then that of independent exponential random graphs, conditioned on a small maximum degree and no triangles. -There is a sharp threshold for $3$-colorability at $m \sim \frac{\sqrt{2}}{4} n^{3/2}\sqrt{\log n}$ and a sharp threshold between $4$-colorability and unbounded chromatic number at $m\sim\frac{1}{4}n^{3/2}\sqrt{\log n}$. -Giant components emerge in the defect edges at $m\sim\frac{1}{4} n^{3/2}\sqrt{\log n}$. We use these results to prove asymptotic formulas for the number of triangle-free graphs at these densities. We likewise prove analogous results for the random graph $G(n,p)$ conditioned on triangle-freeness.

math.CO↗
arXiv2025

A new lower bound for the Ramsey numbers $R(3,k)$

We prove a new lower bound for the off-diagonal Ramsey numbers, \[ R(3,k) \geq \bigg( \frac{1}{3}+ o(1) \bigg) \frac{k^2}{\log k }\, , \] thereby narrowing the gap between the upper and lower bounds to a factor of $3+o(1)$. This improves the best known lower bound of $(1/4+o(1))k^2/\log k$ due, independently, to Bohman and Keevash, and Fiz Pontiveros, Griffiths and Morris, resulting from their celebrated analysis of the triangle-free process. As a consequence, we disprove a conjecture of Fiz Pontiveros, Griffiths and Morris that the constant $1/4$ is sharp.

math.CO↗
arXiv2024

Lower tails for triangles inside the critical window

We study the probability that the random graph $G(n,p)$ is triangle-free. When $p =o(n^{-1/2})$ or $p = ω(n^{-1/2})$ the asymptotics of the logarithm of this probability are known via Janson's inequality in the former case and via regularity or hypergraph container methods in the latter case. We prove for the first time an asymptotic formula for the logarithm of this probability when $p = c n^{-1/2}$ for $c$ a sufficiently small constant. More generally, we study lower-tail large deviations for triangles in random graphs: the probability that $G(n,p)$ has at most $η$ times its expected number of triangles, when $p = c n^{-1/2}$ for $c$ and $η\in [0,1)$ constant. Our results apply for all $c$ if $η\ge .4993$ and for $c$ small enough otherwise. For $η$ small (including the case of triangle-freeness), we prove that a phase transition occurs as $c$ varies, in the sense of a non-analyticity of the rate function, while for $η\ge .4993$ we prove that no phase transition occurs. On the other hand for the random graph $G(n,m)$, with $m = b n^{3/2}$, we show that a phase transition occurs in the lower-tail problem for triangles as $b$ varies for \emph{every} $η\in [0,1)$. Our method involves ingredients from algorithms and statistical physics including the cluster expansion and concentration inequalities for contractive Markov chains.

math.PR↗
arXiv2024

On Dedekind's problem, a sparse version of Sperner's theorem, and antichains of a given size in the Boolean lattice

Dedekind's problem, dating back to 1897, asks for the total number $ψ(n)$ of antichains contained in the Boolean lattice $B_n$ on $n$ elements. We study Dedekind's problem using a recently developed method based on the cluster expansion from statistical physics and as a result, obtain several new results on the number and typical structure of antichains in $B_n$. We obtain detailed estimates for both $ψ(n)$ and the number of antichains of size $β\binom{n}{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor}$ for any fixed $β>0$. We also establish a sparse version of Sperner's theorem: we determine the sharp threshold and scaling window for the property that almost every antichain of size $m$ is contained in a middle layer of $B_n$.

math.CO↗
arXiv2024

Sampling and counting triangle-free graphs near the critical density

We study the following combinatorial counting and sampling problems: can we efficiently sample from the Erdős-Rényi random graph $G(n,p)$ conditioned on triangle-freeness? Can we efficiently approximate the probability that $G(n,p)$ is triangle-free? These are prototypical instances of forbidden substructure problems ubiquitous in combinatorics. The algorithmic questions are instances of approximate counting and sampling for a hypergraph hard-core model. Estimating the probability that $G(n,p)$ has no triangles is a fundamental question in probabilistic combinatorics and one that has led to the development of many important tools in the field. Through the work of several authors, the asymptotics of the logarithm of this probability are known if $p =o( n^{-1/2})$ or if $p =ω( n^{-1/2})$. The regime $p = Θ(n^{-1/2})$ is more mysterious, as this range witnesses a dramatic change in the the typical structural properties of $G(n,p)$ conditioned on triangle-freeness. As we show, this change in structure has a profound impact on the performance of sampling algorithms. We give two different efficient sampling algorithms for triangle-free graphs (and complementary algorithms to approximate the triangle-freeness large deviation probability), one that is efficient when $p < c/\sqrt{n}$ and one that is efficient when $p > C/\sqrt{n}$ for constants $c, C>0$. The latter algorithm involves a new approach for dealing with large defects in the setting of sampling from low-temperature spin models.

cs.DS↗
arXiv2024

Improved bounds for the zeros of the chromatic polynomial via Whitney's Broken Circuit Theorem

We prove that for any graph $G$ of maximum degree at most $Δ$, the zeros of its chromatic polynomial $χ_G(x)$ (in $\mathbb{C}$) lie inside the disc of radius $5.94 Δ$ centered at $0$. This improves on the previously best known bound of approximately $6.91Δ$. We also obtain improved bounds for graphs of high girth. We prove that for every $g$ there is a constant $K_g$ such that for any graph $G$ of maximum degree at most $Δ$ and girth at least $g$, the zeros of its chromatic polynomial $χ_G(x)$ lie inside the disc of radius $K_g Δ$ centered at $0$, where $K_g$ is the solution to a certain optimization problem. In particular, $K_g < 5$ when $g \geq 5$ and $K_g < 4$ when $g \geq 25$ and $K_g$ tends to approximately $3.86$ as $g \to \infty$. Key to the proof is a classical theorem of Whitney which allows us to relate the chromatic polynomial of a graph $G$ to the generating function of so-called broken-circuit-free forests in $G$. We also establish a zero-free disc for the generating function of all forests in $G$ (aka the partition function of the arboreal gas) which may be of independent interest.

math.CO↗
arXiv2023

A new lower bound for sphere packing

We show there exists a packing of identical spheres in $\mathbb{R}^d$ with density at least \[ (1-o(1))\frac{d \log d}{2^{d+1}}\, , \] as $d\to\infty$. This improves upon previous bounds for general $d$ by a factor of order $\log d$ and is the first asymptotically growing improvement to Rogers' bound from 1947.

math.MG↗
arXiv2023

The least singular value of a random symmetric matrix

Let $A$ be a $n \times n$ symmetric matrix with $(A_{i,j})_{i\leq j} $, independent and identically distributed according to a subgaussian distribution. We show that $$\mathbb{P}(σ_{\min}(A) \leq \varepsilon/\sqrt{n}) \leq C \varepsilon + e^{-cn},$$ where $σ_{\min}(A)$ denotes the least singular value of $A$ and the constants $C,c>0 $ depend only on the distribution of the entries of $A$. This result confirms a folklore conjecture on the lower-tail asymptotics of the least singular value of random symmetric matrices and is best possible up to the dependence of the constants on the distribution of $A_{i,j}$. Along the way, we prove that the probability $A$ has a repeated eigenvalue is $e^{-Ω(n)}$, thus confirming a conjecture of Nguyen, Tao and Vu.

math.PR↗
arXiv2023

Quasipolynomial-time algorithms for Gibbs point processes

We demonstrate a quasipolynomial-time deterministic approximation algorithm for the partition function of a Gibbs point process interacting via a finite-range stable potential. This result holds for all activities $λ$ for which the partition function satisfies a zero-free assumption in a neighborhood of the interval $[0,λ]$. As a corollary, for all finite-range stable potentials we obtain a quasipolynomial-time determinsitic algorithm for all $λ< /(e^{B + 1} \hat C_ϕ)$ where $\hat C_ϕ$ is a temperedness parameter and $B$ is the stability constant of $ϕ$. In the special case of a repulsive potential such as the hard-sphere gas we improve the range of activity by a factor of at least $e^2$ and obtain a quasipolynomial-time deterministic approximation algorithm for all $λ< e/Δ_ϕ$, where $Δ_ϕ$ is the potential-weighted connective constant of the potential $ϕ$. Our algorithm approximates coefficients of the cluster expansion of the partition function and uses the interpolation method of Barvinok to extend this approximation throughout the zero-free region.

cs.DS↗
arXiv2022

A robust Corr\'adi--Hajnal Theorem

For a graph $G$ and $p\in[0,1]$, we denote by $G_p$ the random sparsification of $G$ obtained by keeping each edge of $G$ independently, with probability $p$. We show that there exists a $C>0$ such that if $p\geq C(\log n)^{1/3}n^{-2/3}$ and $G$ is an $n$-vertex graph with $n\in 3\mathbb{N}$ and $\delta(G)\geq \tfrac{2n}{3}$, then with high probability $G_p$ contains a triangle factor. Both the minimum degree condition and the probability condition, up to the choice of $C$, are tight. Our result can be viewed as a common strengthening of the seminal theorems of Corr\'adi and Hajnal, which deals with the extremal minimum degree condition for containing triangle factors (corresponding to $p=1$ in our result), and Johansson, Kahn and Vu, which deals with the threshold for the appearance of a triangle factor in $G(n,p)$ (corresponding to $G=K_n$ in our result). It also implies a lower bound on the number of triangle factors in graphs with minimum degree at least $\tfrac{2n}{3}$ which gets close to the truth.

math.CO↗
arXiv2022

Independent sets of a given size and structure in the hypercube

We determine the asymptotics of the number of independent sets of size $\lfloor β2^{d-1} \rfloor$ in the discrete hypercube $Q_d = \{0,1\}^d$ for any fixed $β\in [0,1]$ as $d \to \infty$, extending a result of Galvin for $β\in [1-1/\sqrt{2},1]$. Moreover, we prove a multivariate local central limit theorem for structural features of independent sets in $Q_d$ drawn according to the hard core model at any fixed fugacity $λ>0$. In proving these results we develop several general tools for performing combinatorial enumeration using polymer models and the cluster expansion from statistical physics along with local central limit theorems.

math.CO↗