Perturbative large deviation analysis of non-equilibrium dynamics

Macroscopic fluctuation theory has shown that a wide class of non-equilibrium stochastic dynamical systems obey a large deviation principle, but except for a few one-dimensional examples these large deviation principles are in general not known in closed form. We consider the problem of constructing successive approximations to an (unknown) large deviation functional and show that the non-equilibrium probability distribution the takes a Gibbs-Boltzmann form with a set of auxiliary (non-physical) energy functions. The expectation values of these auxiliary energy functions and their conjugate quantities satisfy a closed system of equations which can imply a considerable reduction of dimensionality of the dynamics. We show that the accuracy of the approximations can be tested self-consistently without solving the full non- equilibrium equations. We test the general procedure on the simple model problem of a relaxing 1D Ising chain.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure

Dynamic message-passing approach for kinetic spin models with reversible dynamics

A method to approximately close the dynamic cavity equations for synchronous reversible dynamics on a locally tree-like topology is presented. The method builds on $(a)$ a graph expansion to eliminate loops from the normalizations of each step in the dynamics, and $(b)$ an assumption that a set of auxilary probability distributions on histories of pairs of spins mainly have dependencies that are local in time. The closure is then effectuated by projecting these probability distributions on $n$-step Markov processes. The method is shown in detail on the level of ordinary Markov processes ($n=1$), and outlined for higher-order approximations ($n>1$). Numerical validations of the technique are provided for the reconstruction of the transient and equilibrium dynamics of the kinetic Ising model on a random graph with arbitrary connectivity symmetry.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Mean field spin glasses treated with PDE techniques

Following an original idea of F. Guerra, in this notes we analyze the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model from different perspectives, all sharing the underlying approach which consists in linking the resolution of the statistical mechanics of the model (e.g. solving for the free energy) to well-known partial differential equation (PDE) problems (in suitable spaces). The plan is then to solve the related PDE using techniques involved in their native field and lastly bringing back the solution in the proper statistical mechanics framework. Within this strand, after a streamlined test-case on the Curie-Weiss model to highlight the methods more than the physics behind, we solve the SK both at the replica symmetric and at the 1-RSB level, obtaining the correct expression for the free energy via an analogy to a Fourier equation and for the self-consistencies with an analogy to a Burger equation, whose shock wave develops exactly at critical noise level (triggering the phase transition). Our approach, beyond acting as a new alternative method (with respect to the standard routes) for tackling the complexity of spin glasses, links symmetries in PDE theory with constraints in statistical mechanics and, as a novel result from the theoretical physics perspective, we obtain a new class of polynomial identities (namely of Aizenman-Contucci type but merged within the Guerra's broken replica measures), whose interest lies in understanding, via the recent Panchenko breakthroughs, how to force the overlap organization to the ultrametric tree predicted by Parisi

A simple analytical description of the non-stationary dynamics in Ising spin systems

The analytical description of the dynamics in models with discrete variables (e.g. Isingspins) is a notoriously difficult problem, that can be tackled only undersome approximation.Recently a novel variational approach to solve the stationary dynamical regime has beenintroduced by Pelizzola [Eur. Phys. J. B, 86 (2013) 120], where simpleclosed equations arederived under mean-field approximations based on the cluster variational method. Here wepropose to use the same approximation based on the cluster variational method also for thenon-stationary regime, which has not been considered up to now within this framework. Wecheck the validity of this approximation in describing the non-stationary dynamical regime ofseveral Ising models defined on Erdos-R ́enyi random graphs: westudy ferromagnetic modelswith symmetric and partially asymmetric couplings, models with randomfields and also spinglass models. A comparison with the actual Glauber dynamics, solvednumerically, showsthat one of the two studied approximations (the so-called ‘diamond’approximation) providesvery accurate results in all the systems studied. Only for the spin glass models we find somesmall discrepancies in the very low temperature phase, probably due to the existence of alarge number of metastable states. Given the simplicity of the equations to be solved, webelieve the diamond approximation should be considered as the ‘minimalstandard’ in thedescription of the non-stationary regime of Ising-like models: any new method pretending toprovide a better approximate description to the dynamics of Ising-like models should performat least as good as the diamond approximation

Anergy in self-directed B lymphocytes from a statistical mechanics perspective

The ability of the adaptive immune system to discriminate between self and non-self mainly stems from the ontogenic clonal-deletion of lymphocytes expressing strong binding affinity with self-peptides. However, some self-directed lymphocytes may evade selection and still be harmless due to a mechanism called clonal anergy. As for B lymphocytes, two major explanations for anergy developed over three decades: according to "Varela theory", it stems from a proper orchestration of the whole B-repertoire, in such a way that self-reactive clones, due to intensive interactions and feed-back from other clones, display more inertia to mount a response. On the other hand, according to the `two-signal model", which has prevailed nowadays, self-reacting cells are not stimulated by helper lymphocytes and the absence of such signaling yields anergy. The first result we present, achieved through disordered statistical mechanics, shows that helper cells do not prompt the activation and proliferation of a certain sub-group of B cells, which turn out to be just those broadly interacting, hence it merges the two approaches as a whole (in particular, Varela theory is then contained into the two-signal model). As a second result, we outline a minimal topological architecture for the B-world, where highly connected clones are self-directed as a natural consequence of an ontogenetic learning; this provides a mathematical framework to Varela perspective. As a consequence of these two achievements, clonal deletion and clonal anergy can be seen as two inter-playing aspects of the same phenomenon too