arXiv subjects

Miklos Abert

Publications and source records attributed to Miklos Abert.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Quenched path limits and periodization stability for tilted Brownian motion in Poissonian potentials on $\mathbb{H}^d$

We analyze the existence of Brownian motion tilted by a potential of full support on hyperbolic spaces $\mathbb{H}^d$. On compact spaces, it is classical that these path limits, called Q-processes, exist and can be directly defined using the ground state of the corresponding Schr\"odinger operator. On non-compact spaces like $\mathbb{H}^d$, the existence fails in general. We show that for \emph{stationary random} potentials on $\mathbb{H}^d$ with suitable spectral and sup norm bounds, the Q-processes exist a.s. For potentials that are factors of a Poisson point process, the method works up to sup norm $(d-1)^2/8$. In this case, we also show that the path limit can be approximated by periodic potentials. As a tool, we use the foliated space defined by the point process. It turns out that the global ground state of this foliated space serves as a substitute for the non-existing $L^2$ ground states on the leaves of the foliation. Restricting the global ground state to a leaf gives a generalized eigenwave that can be plugged into the usual machinery to get the Q-process.

math.PR↗

arXiv2025

The Uniform Random Walk on graphs, loop processes and graphings

We define the Uniform Random Walk (URW) on a connected, locally finite graph as the weak limit of the uniform walk of length $n$ starting at a fixed vertex. When the limit exists, it is necessarily Markovian and is independent of the starting point. For a finite graph, URW equals the Maximal Entropy Random Walk (MERW). We investigate the existence and phase transitions of URW for loop perturbed regular graphs and their limits. It turns out that for a sequence of finite graphs, it is the global spectral theory of the limiting graphing that governs the behavior of the finite MERWs. In the delocalized phase, we use a "membrane argument", showing that the principal eigenfunction of an expander graphing is stable under a small diagonal perturbation. This gives us: 1) The existence of URW on leaves; 2) The URW is a unique entropy maximizer; 3) The MERW of a finite graph sequence Benjamini-Schramm converges to the URW of the limiting graphing. In the localized phase, the environment seen by the particle takes the role of a finite stationary measure. We show that for canopy trees, the URW exists, is transient and maximizes entropy. We also show that for large finite graphs where most vertices have a fixed degree, localization of MERW is governed by the adjacency norm.

math.PR↗

arXiv2021

On homology torsion growth

We prove new vanishing results on the growth of higher torsion homologies for suitable arithmetic lattices, Artin groups and mapping class groups. The growth is understood along Farber sequences, in particular, along residual chains. For principal congruence subgroups, we also obtain strong asymptotic bounds for the torsion growth. As a central tool, we introduce a quantitative homotopical method called effective rebuilding. This constructs small classifying spaces of finite index subgroups, at the same time controlling the complexity of the homotopy. The method easily applies to free abelian groups and then extends recursively to a wide class of residually finite groups.

math.GT↗

arXiv2018

Convergence of normalized Betti numbers in nonpositive curvature

We study the convergence of volume-normalized Betti numbers in Benjamini-Schramm convergent sequences of non-positively curved manifolds with finite volume. In particular, we show that if $X$ is an irreducible symmetric space of noncompact type, $X \neq \mathbb H^3$, and $(M_n)$ is any Benjamini-Schramm convergent sequence of finite volume $X$-manifolds, then the normalized Betti numbers $b_k(M_n)/vol(M_n)$ converge for all $k$. As a corollary, if $X$ has higher rank and $(M_n)$ is any sequence of distinct, finite volume $X$-manifolds, the normalized Betti numbers of $M_n$ converge to the $L^2$ Betti numbers of $X$. This extends our earlier work with Nikolov, Raimbault and Samet, where we proved the same convergence result for uniformly thick sequences of compact $X$-manifolds.

math.GT↗

arXiv2018

Eigenfunctions and Random Waves in the Benjamini-Schramm limit

We investigate the asymptotic behavior of eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on Riemannian manifolds. We show that Benjamini-Schramm convergence provides a unified language for the level and eigenvalue aspects of the theory. As a result, we present a mathematically precise formulation of Berry's conjecture for a compact negatively curved manifold and formulate a Berry-type conjecture for sequences of locally symmetric spaces. We prove some weak versions of these conjectures. Using ergodic theory, we also analyze the connections of these conjectures to Quantum Unique Ergodicity.

math.SP↗

arXiv2017

On the growth of $L^2$-invariants for sequences of lattices in Lie groups

We study the asymptotic behaviour of Betti numbers, twisted torsion and other spectral invariants of sequences of locally symmetric spaces. Our main results are uniform versions of the DeGeorge--Wallach Theorem, of a theorem of Delorme and various other limit multiplicity theorems. A basic idea is to adapt the notion of Benjamini--Schramm convergence (BS-convergence), originally introduced for sequences of finite graphs of bounded degree, to sequences of Riemannian manifolds, and analyze the possible limits. We show that BS-convergence of locally symmetric spaces implies convergence, in an appropriate sense, of the associated normalized relative Plancherel measures. This then yields convergence of normalized multiplicities of unitary representations, Betti numbers and other spectral invariants. On the other hand, when the corresponding Lie group $G$ is simple and of real rank at least two, we prove that there is only one possible BS-limit, i.e. when the volume tends to infinity, locally symmetric spaces always BS-converge to their universal cover $G/K$. This leads to various general uniform results. When restricting to arbitrary sequences of congruence covers of a fixed arithmetic manifold we prove a strong quantitative version of BS-convergence which in turn implies upper estimates on the rate of convergence of normalized Betti numbers in the spirit of Sarnak--Xue. An important role in our approach is played by the notion of Invariant Random Subgroups. For higher rank simple Lie groups $G$, we exploit rigidity theory, and in particular the Nevo--Stück--Zimmer theorem and Kazhdan's property (T), to obtain a complete understanding of the space of IRSs of $G$.

math.RT↗

arXiv2016

On the growth of L2-invariants of locally symmetric spaces, II: exotic invariant random subgroups in rank one

In the first paper of this series (arxiv.org/abs/1210.2961) we studied the asymptotic behavior of Betti numbers, twisted torsion and other spectral invariants for sequences of lattices in Lie groups G. A key element of our work was the study of invariant random subgroups (IRSs) of G. Any sequence of lattices has a subsequence converging to an IRS, and when G has higher rank, the Nevo-Stuck-Zimmer theorem classifies all IRSs of G. Using the classification, one can deduce asymptotic statments about spectral invariants of lattices. When G has real rank one, the space of IRSs is more complicated. We construct here several uncountable families of IRSs in the groups SO(n,1). We give dimension-specific constructions when n=2,3, and also describe a general gluing construction that works for every n at least 2. Part of the latter construction is inspired by Gromov and Piatetski-Shapiro's construction of non-arithmetic lattices in SO(n,1).

math.GT↗

arXiv2016

Rank, combinatorial cost and homology torsion growth in higher rank lattices

We investigate the rank gradient and growth of torsion in homology in residually finite groups. As a tool, we introduce a new complexity notion for generating sets, using measured groupoids and combinatorial cost. As an application we prove the vanishing of the above invariants for Farber sequences of subgroups of right angled groups. A group is right angled if it can be generated by a sequence of elements of infinite order such that any two consecutive elements commute. Most non-uniform lattices in higher rank simple Lie groups are right angled. We provide the first examples of uniform (co-compact) right angled arithmetic groups in $\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{R}),~n\geq 3$ and $\mathrm{SO}(p,q)$ for some values of $p,q$. This is a class of lattices for which the Congruence Subgroup Property is not known in general. Using rigidity theory and the notion of invariant random subgroups it follows that both the rank gradient and the homology torsion growth vanish for an arbitrary sequence of subgroups in any right angled lattice in a higher rank simple Lie group.

math.GR↗

arXiv2016

Unimodular measures on the space of all Riemannian manifolds

We study unimodular measures on the space $\mathcal M^d$ of all pointed Riemannian $d$-manifolds. Examples can be constructed from finite volume manifolds, from measured foliations with Riemannian leaves, and from invariant random subgroups of Lie groups. Unimodularity is preserved under weak* limits, and under certain geometric constraints (e.g. bounded geometry) unimodular measures can be used to compactify sets of finite volume manifolds. One can then understand the geometry of manifolds $M$ with large, finite volume by passing to unimodular limits. We develop a structure theory for unimodular measures on $\mathcal M^d$, characterizing them via invariance under a certain geodesic flow, and showing that they correspond to transverse measures on a foliated `desingularization' of $\mathcal M^d$. We also give a geometric proof of a compactness theorem for unimodular measures on the space of pointed manifolds with pinched negative curvature, and characterize unimodular measures supported on hyperbolic $3$-manifolds with finitely generated fundamental group.

math.GT↗

arXiv2015

The measurable Kesten theorem

We give explicit estimates between the spectral radius and the densities of short cycles for finite d-regular graphs. This allows us to show that the essential girth of a finite d-regular Ramanujan graph G is at least c log log |G|. We prove that infinite d-regular Ramanujan unimodular random graphs are trees. Using Benjamini-Schramm convergence this leads to a rigidity result saying that if most eigenvalues of a d-regular finite graph G fall in the Alon-Boppana region, then the eigenvalue distribution of G is close to the spectral measure of the d-regular tree. Kesten showed that if a Cayley graph has the same spectral radius as its universal cover, then it must be a tree. We generalize this to unimodular random graphs.

math.PR↗

arXiv2014

A Spectral Strong Approximation Theorem for Measure Preserving Actions

Let $Γ$ be a finitely generated group acting by probability measure preserving maps on the standard Borel space $(X,μ)$. We show that if $H\leqΓ$ is a subgroup with relative spectral radius greater than the global spectral radius of the action, then $H$ acts with finitely many ergodic components and spectral gap on $(X,μ)$. This answers a question of Shalom who proved this for normal subgroups.

math.GR↗

arXiv2012

Kesten's theorem for Invariant Random Subgroups

An invariant random subgroup of the countable group Γ is a random subgroup of Γ whose distribution is invariant under conjugation by all elements of Γ. We prove that for a nonamenable invariant random subgroup H, the spectral radius of every finitely supported random walk on Γ is strictly less than the spectral radius of the corresponding random walk on Γ/H. This generalizes a result of Kesten who proved this for normal subgroups. As a byproduct, we show that for a Cayley graph G of a linear group with no amenable normal subgroups, any sequence of finite quotients of G that spectrally approximates G converges to G in Benjamini-Schramm convergence. In particular, this implies that infinite sequences of finite d-regular Ramanujan Schreier graphs have essentially large girth.

math.GR↗

arXiv2011

The Space of Actions, Partition Metric and Combinatorial Rigidity

We introduce a natural pseudometric on the space of actions of d-generated groups. In this pseudometric, the zero classes correspond to the weak equivalence classes defined by Kechris, and the metric identification is compact. We achieve this by employing symbolic dynamics and an ultraproduct construction which also facilitates the extension of our results to unitary representations. As a byproduct, we show that the weak equivalence class of every free non-amenable action contains an action that satisfies the measurable von Neumann problem.

math.FA↗

arXiv2011

Hyperfinite actions on countable sets and probability measure spaces

We introduce the notion of hyperfiniteness for permutation actions of countable groups on countable sets and give a geometric and analytic characterization, similar to the known characterizations for amenable actions. We also answer a question of van Douwen on actions of the free group on two generators on countable sets.

math.GR↗

arXiv2011

On the growth of Betti numbers of locally symmetric spaces

We announce new results concerning the asymptotic behavior of the Betti numbers of higher rank locally symmetric spaces as their volumes tend to infinity. Our main theorem is a uniform version of the Lück Approximation Theorem \cite{luck}, which is much stronger than the linear upper bounds on Betti numbers given by Gromov in \cite{BGS}. The basic idea is to adapt the theory of local convergence, originally introduced for sequences of graphs of bounded degree by Benjamimi and Schramm, to sequences of Riemannian manifolds. Using rigidity theory we are able to show that when the volume tends to infinity, the manifolds locally converge to the universal cover in a sufficiently strong manner that allows us to derive the convergence of the normalized Betti numbers.

math.GR↗

arXiv2011

The rank gradient from a combinatorial viewpoint

This paper investigates the asymptotic behaviour of the minimal number of generators of finite index subgroups in residually finite groups. We analyze three natural classes of groups: amenable groups, groups possessing an infinite soluble normal subgroup and virtually free groups. As a tool for the amenable case we generalize Lackenby's trichotomy theorem on finitely presented groups.

math.GR↗

arXiv2008

Most actions on regular trees are almost free

Let T be a d-regular tree (d > 2) and A=Aut(T), its automorphism group. Let G be a group generated by n independent Haar-random elements of A. We show that almost surely, every nontrivial element of G has finitely many fixed points on T.

math.GR↗

arXiv2008

Rank gradient, cost of groups and the rank versus Heegaard genus problem

We study the growth of the rank of subgroups of finite index in residually finite groups, by relating it to the notion of cost. As a by-product, we show that the `Rank vs. Heegaard genus' conjecture on hyperbolic 3-manifolds is incompatible with the `Fixed Price problem' in topological dynamics.

math.GR↗