arXiv subjects

Nicholas Kocurek

Publications and source records attributed to Nicholas Kocurek.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Sampling from the Hardcore Model on Random Regular Bipartite Graphs above the Uniqueness Threshold

We design an efficient sampling algorithm to generate samples from the hardcore model on random regular bipartite graphs as long as $\lambda \lesssim \frac{1}{\sqrt{\Delta}}$, where $\Delta$ is the degree. Combined with recent work of Jenssen, Keevash and Perkins this implies an FPRAS for the partition function of the hardcore model on random regular bipartite graphs at any fugacity. Our algorithm is shown by analyzing two new Markov chains that work in complementary regimes. Our proof then proceeds by showing the corresponding simplicial complexes are top-link spectral expanders and appealing to the trickle-down theorem to prove fast mixing.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2025

Spectral Certificates and Sum-of-Squares Lower Bounds for Semirandom Hamiltonians

The $k$-$\mathsf{XOR}$ problem is one of the most well-studied problems in classical complexity. We study a natural quantum analogue of $k$-$\mathsf{XOR}$, the problem of computing the ground energy of a certain subclass of structured local Hamiltonians, signed sums of $k$-local Pauli operators, which we refer to as $k$-$\mathsf{XOR}$ Hamiltonians. As an exhibition of the connection between this model and classical $k$-$\mathsf{XOR}$, we extend results on refuting $k$-$\mathsf{XOR}$ instances to the Hamiltonian setting by crafting a quantum variant of the Kikuchi matrix for CSP refutation, instead capturing ground energy optimization. As our main result, we show an $n^{O(\ell)}$-time classical spectral algorithm certifying ground energy at most $\frac{1}{2} + \varepsilon$ in (1) semirandom Hamiltonian $k$-$\mathsf{XOR}$ instances or (2) sums of Gaussian-signed $k$-local Paulis both with $O(n) \cdot \left(\frac{n}{\ell}\right)^{k/2-1} \log n /\varepsilon^4$ local terms, a tradeoff known as the refutation threshold. Additionally, we give evidence this tradeoff is tight in the semirandom regime via non-commutative Sum-of-Squares lower bounds embedding classical $k$-$\mathsf{XOR}$ instances as entirely classical Hamiltonians.

cs.CC↗

arXiv2025

Spectral Refutations of Semirandom $k$-LIN over Larger Fields

We study the problem of strongly refuting semirandom $k$-LIN$(\mathbb{F})$ instances: systems of $k$-sparse inhomogeneous linear equations over a finite field $\mathbb{F}$. For the case of $\mathbb{F} = \mathbb{F}_2$, this is the well-studied problem of refuting semirandom instances of $k$-XOR, where the works of [GKM22,HKM23] establish a tight trade-off between runtime and clause density for refutation: for any choice of a parameter $\ell$, they give an $n^{O(\ell)}$-time algorithm to certify that there is no assignment that can satisfy more than $\frac{1}{2} + \varepsilon$-fraction of constraints in a semirandom $k$-XOR instance, provided that the instance has $O(n) \cdot \left(\frac{n}{\ell}\right)^{k/2 - 1} \log n /\varepsilon^4$ constraints, and the work of [KMOW17] provides good evidence that this tight up to a $\mathrm{polylog}(n)$ factor via lower bounds for the Sum-of-Squares hierarchy. However for larger fields, the only known results for this problem are established via black-box reductions to the case of $\mathbb{F}_2$, resulting in an $|{\mathbb{F}}|^{3k}$ gap between the current best upper and lower bounds. In this paper, we give an algorithm for refuting semirandom $k$-LIN$(\mathbb{F})$ instances with the "correct" dependence on the field size $|{\mathbb{F}}|$. For any choice of a parameter $\ell$, our algorithm runs in $(|{\mathbb{F}}|n)^{O(\ell)}$-time and strongly refutes semirandom $k$-LIN$(\mathbb{F})$ instances with at least $O(n) \cdot \left(\frac{|{\mathbb{F}^*}| n}{\ell}\right)^{k/2 - 1} \log(n |{\mathbb{F}^*}|) /\varepsilon^4$ constraints. We give good evidence that this dependence on the field size $|{\mathbb{F}}|$ is optimal by proving a lower bound for the Sum-of-Squares hierarchy that matches this threshold up to a $\mathrm{polylog}(n |{\mathbb{F}^*}|)$ factor. Our results also extend to the more general case of finite Abelian groups.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2025

Sampling and Identity-Testing Without Approximate Tensorization of Entropy

Certain tasks in high-dimensional statistics become easier when the underlying distribution satisfies a local-to-global property called approximate tensorization of entropy (ATE). For example, the Glauber dynamics Markov chain of an ATE distribution mixes fast and can produce approximate samples in a small amount of time, since such a distribution satisfies a modified log-Sobolev inequality. Moreover, identity-testing for an ATE distribution requires few samples if the tester is given coordinate conditional access to the unknown distribution, as shown by Blanca, Chen, \v{S}tefankovi\v{c}, and Vigoda (COLT 2023). A natural class of distributions that do not satisfy ATE consists of mixtures of (few) distributions that do satisfy ATE. We study the complexity of identity-testing and sampling for these distributions. Our main results are the following: 1. We show fast mixing of Glauber dynamics from a data-based initialization, with optimal sample complexity, for mixtures of distributions satisfying modified log-Sobolev inequalities. This extends work of Huang, Koehler, Lee, Mohanty, Rajaraman, Vuong, and Wu (STOC 2025, COLT 2025) for mixtures of distributions satisfying Poincar\'e inequalities. 2. Answering an open question posed by Blanca et al., we give efficient identity-testers for mixtures of ATE distributions in the coordinate-conditional sampling access model. We also give some simplifications and improvements to the original algorithm of Blanca et al.

math.ST↗

arXiv2025

Pseudorandomness Properties of Random Reversible Circuits

Motivated by practical concerns in cryptography, we study pseudorandomness properties of permutations on $\{0,1\}^n$ computed by random circuits made from reversible $3$-bit gates (permutations on $\{0,1\}^3$). Our main result is that a random circuit of depth $\sqrt{n} \cdot \tilde{O}(k^3)$, with each layer consisting of $\Theta(n)$ random gates in a fixed two-dimensional nearest-neighbor architecture, yields approximate $k$-wise independent permutations. Our result can be seen as a particularly simple/practical block cipher construction that gives provable statistical security against attackers with access to $k$~input-output pairs within few rounds. The main technical component of our proof consists of two parts: 1. We show that the Markov chain on $k$-tuples of $n$-bit strings induced by a single random $3$-bit one-dimensional nearest-neighbor gate has spectral gap at least $1/n \cdot \tilde{O}(k)$. Then we infer that a random circuit with layers of random gates in a fixed one-dimensional gate architecture yields approximate $k$-wise independent permutations of $\{0,1\}^n$ in depth $n\cdot \tilde{O}(k^2)$ 2. We show that if the $n$ wires are layed out on a two-dimensional lattice of bits, then repeatedly alternating applications of approximate $k$-wise independent permutations of $\{0,1\}^{\sqrt n}$ to the rows and columns of the lattice yields an approximate $k$-wise independent permutation of $\{0,1\}^n$ in small depth. Our work improves on the original work of Gowers, who showed a gap of $1/\mathrm{poly}(n,k)$ for one random gate (with non-neighboring inputs); and, on subsequent work improving the gap to $\Omega(1/n^2k)$ in the same setting.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2024

Faster Mixing of Higher-Dimensional Random Reversible Circuits

We continue the study of the approximate $k$-wise independence of random reversible circuits as permutations of $\{\pm1\}^n$. Our main result is the first construction of a natural class of random reversible circuits with a sublinear-in-$n$ dependence on depth. Our construction is motivated by considerations in practical cryptography and is somewhat inspired by the design of practical block ciphers, such as DES and AES. Previous constructions of He and O'Donnell [HO24], which were built with gate architectures on one-dimensional lattices, suffered from an inherent linear-in-$n$ dependence on depth. The main novelty of our circuit model is a gate architecture built on higher-dimensional lattices.

cs.CC↗