Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Svante Janson

Publications and source records attributed to Svante Janson.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
arXiv2012

Generalized Galois numbers, inversions, lattice paths, Ferrers diagrams and limit theorems

Bliem and Kousidis (arXiv:1109.4624) recently considered a family of random variables whose distributions are given by the generalized Galois numbers (after normalization). We give probabilistic interpretations of these random variables, using inversions in random words, random lattice paths and random Ferrers diagrams, and use these to give new proofs of limit theorems as well as some further limit results.

math.CO↗
arXiv2012

The number of bit comparisons used by Quicksort: an average-case analysis

The analyses of many algorithms and data structures (such as digital search trees) for searching and sorting are based on the representation of the keys involved as bit strings and so count the number of bit comparisons. On the other hand, the standard analyses of many other algorithms (such as Quicksort) are performed in terms of the number of key comparisons. We introduce the prospect of a fair comparison between algorithms of the two types by providing an average-case analysis of the number of bit comparisons required by Quicksort. Counting bit comparisons rather than key comparisons introduces an extra logarithmic factor to the asymptotic average total. We also provide a new algorithm, "BitsQuick", that reduces this factor to constant order by eliminating needless bit comparisons.

math.PR↗
arXiv2011

The probability of the Alabama paradox

Hamilton's method (also called method of largest remainder) is a natural and common method to distribute seats proportionally between states (or parties) in a parliament. In USA it has been abandoned due to some drawbacks, in particular the possibility of the Alabama paradox, but it is still in use in many other countries. In this paper we give, under certain assumptions, a closed formula for the asymptotic probability, as the number of seats tends to infinity, that the Alabama paradox occurs given the vector p_1,...,p_m of relative sizes of the states. From the theorem we deduce a number of consequences. For example it is shown that the expected number of states that will suffer from the Alabama paradox is asymptotically bounded above by 1/e. For random (uniformly distributed) relative sizes p_1,...,p_m the expected number of states to suffer from the Alabama paradox converges to slightly more than a third of this, or approximately 0.335/e=0.123, as m tends to infinity. We leave open the generalization of our formula to all possible (in particular rational) p_1,...,p_m.

math.PR↗
arXiv2011

Simply generated trees, conditioned Galton--Watson trees, random allocations and condensation

We give a unified treatment of the limit, as the size tends to infinity, of simply generated random trees, including both the well-known result in the standard case of critical Galton--Watson trees and similar but less well-known results in the other cases (i.e., when no equivalent critical Galton--Watson tree exists). There is a well-defined limit in the form of an infinite random tree in all cases; for critical Galton--Watson trees this tree is locally finite but for the other cases the random limit has exactly one node of infinite degree. The proofs use a well-known connection to a random allocation model that we call balls-in-boxes, and we prove corresponding theorems for this model. This survey paper contains many known results from many different sources, together with some new results.

math.PR↗
arXiv2011

Asymptotic bias of some election methods

Consider an election where N seats are distributed among parties with proportions p_1,...,p_m of the votes. We study, for the common divisor and quota methods, the asymptotic distribution, and in particular the mean, of the seat excess of a party, i.e. the difference between the number of seats given to the party and the (real) number Np_i that yields exact proportionality. Our approach is to keep p_1,...,p_m fixed and let N tend to infinity, with N random in a suitable way. In particular, we give formulas showing the bias favouring large or small parties for the different election methods.

math.PR↗
arXiv2011

Superboolean rank and the size of the largest triangular submatrix of a random matrix

We explore the size of the largest (permuted) triangular submatrix of a random matrix, and more precisely its asymptotical behavior as the size of the ambient matrix tends to infinity. The importance of such permuted triangular submatrices arises when dealing with certain combinatorial algebraic settings in which these submatrices determine the rank of the ambient matrix, and thus attract a special attention.

math.RA↗
arXiv2011

Probability asymptotics: notes on notation

Some asymptotic notions for random variables are discussed. In particular, different versions of O and o for sequences of random variables are studied. The results are elementary and more or less well-known, but collected here for future use and easy reference.

math.PR↗
arXiv2011

Graphons, cut norm and distance, couplings and rearrangements

We give a survey of basic results on the cut norm and cut metric for graphons (and sometimes more general kernels), with emphasis on the equivalence problem. The main results are not new, but we add various technical complements, and a new proof of the uniqueness theorem by Borgs, Chayes and Lovász. We allow graphons on general probability spaces whenever possible. We also give some new results for {0,1}-valued graphons and for pure graphons.

math.CO↗
arXiv2011

Random trees with superexponential branching weights

We study rooted planar random trees with a probability distribution which is proportional to a product of weight factors $w_n$ associated to the vertices of the tree and depending only on their individual degrees $n$. We focus on the case when $w_n$ grows faster than exponentially with $n$. In this case the measures on trees of finite size $N$ converge weakly as $N$ tends to infinity to a measure which is concentrated on a single tree with one vertex of infinite degree. For explicit weight factors of the form $w_n=((n-1)!)^α$ with $α>0$ we obtain more refined results about the approach to the infinite volume limit.

math-ph↗
arXiv2011

Limits of interval orders and semiorders

We study poset limits given by sequences of finite interval orders or, as a special case, finite semiorders. In the interval order case, we show that every such limit can be represented by a probability measure on the space of closed subintervals of [0,1], and we define a subset of such measures that yield a unique representation. In the semiorder case, we similarly find unique representations by a class of distribution functions.

math.CO↗
arXiv2011

Invariants of polynomials and binary forms

We survey various classical results on invariants of polynomials, or equivalently, of binary forms, focussing on explicit calculations for invariants of polynomials of degrees 2, 3, 4.

math.HO↗
arXiv2011

Interval graph limits

We work out the graph limit theory for dense interval graphs. The theory developed departs from the usual description of a graph limit as a symmetric function $W(x,y)$ on the unit square, with $x$ and $y$ uniform on the interval $(0,1)$. Instead, we fix a $W$ and change the underlying distribution of the coordinates $x$ and $y$. We find choices such that our limits are continuous. Connections to random interval graphs are given, including some examples. We also show a continuity result for the chromatic number and clique number of interval graphs. Some results on uniqueness of the limit description are given for general graph limits.

math.CO↗
arXiv2011

Monotone graph limits and quasimonotone graphs

The recent theory of graph limits gives a powerful framework for understanding the properties of suitable (convergent) sequences $(G_n)$ of graphs in terms of a limiting object which may be represented by a symmetric function $W$ on $[0,1]$, i.e., a kernel or graphon. In this context it is natural to wish to relate specific properties of the sequence to specific properties of the kernel. Here we show that the kernel is monotone (i.e., increasing in both variables) if and only if the sequence satisfies a `quasi-monotonicity' property defined by a certain functional tending to zero. As a tool we prove an inequality relating the cut and $L^1$ norms of kernels of the form $W_1-W_2$ with $W_1$ and $W_2$ monotone that may be of interest in its own right; no such inequality holds for general kernels.

math.CO↗
arXiv2011

The external lengths in Kingman's coalescent

In this paper we prove asymptotic normality of the total length of external branches in Kingman's coalescent. The proof uses an embedded Markov chain, which can be descriped as follows: Take an urn with n black balls. Empty it in n steps according to the rule: In each step remove a randomly chosen pair of balls and replace it by one red ball. Finally remove the last remaining ball. Then the numbers U_k, 0 \leq k \leq n, of red balls after k steps exhibits an unexpected property: (U_0,...,U_n) and (U_n,..., U_0) are equal in distribution.

math.PR↗
arXiv2010

Sub-Gaussian tail bounds for the width and height of conditioned Galton--Watson trees

We study the height and width of a Galton--Watson tree with offspring distribution B satisfying E(B)=1, 0 < Var(B) < infinity, conditioned on having exactly n nodes. Under this conditioning, we derive sub-Gaussian tail bounds for both the width (largest number of nodes in any level) and height (greatest level containing a node); the bounds are optimal up to constant factors in the exponent. Under the same conditioning, we also derive essentially optimal upper tail bounds for the number of nodes at level k, for 1 <= k <= n.

math.PR↗
arXiv2010

On vertex, edge, and vertex-edge random graphs

We consider three classes of random graphs: edge random graphs, vertex random graphs, and vertex-edge random graphs. Edge random graphs are Erdos-Renyi random graphs, vertex random graphs are generalizations of geometric random graphs, and vertex-edge random graphs generalize both. The names of these three types of random graphs describe where the randomness in the models lies: in the edges, in the vertices, or in both. We show that vertex-edge random graphs, ostensibly the most general of the three models, can be approximated arbitrarily closely by vertex random graphs, but that the two categories are distinct.

math.CO↗