Limiting distributions for additive functionals on Catalan trees

Additive tree functionals represent the cost of many divide-and-conquer algorithms. We derive the limiting distribution of the additive functionals induced by toll functions of the form (a) n^\alpha when \alpha > 0 and (b) log n (the so-called shape functional) on uniformly distributed binary search trees, sometimes called Catalan trees. The Gaussian law obtained in the latter case complements the central limit theorem for the shape functional under the random permutation model. Our results give rise to an apparently new family of distributions containing the Airy distribution (\alpha = 1) and the normal distribution [case (b), and case (a) as $\alpha \downarrow 0$]. The main theoretical tools employed are recent results relating asymptotics of the generating functions of sequences to those of their Hadamard product, and the method of moments.Comment: 30 pages, 4 figures. Version 2 adds background information on singularity analysis and streamlines the presentatio

Transfer Theorems and Asymptotic Distributional Results for m-ary Search Trees

We derive asymptotics of moments and identify limiting distributions, under the random permutation model on m-ary search trees, for functionals that satisfy recurrence relations of a simple additive form. Many important functionals including the space requirement, internal path length, and the so-called shape functional fall under this framework. The approach is based on establishing transfer theorems that link the order of growth of the input into a particular (deterministic) recurrence to the order of growth of the output. The transfer theorems are used in conjunction with the method of moments to establish limit laws. It is shown that (i) for small toll sequences $(t_n)$ [roughly, $t_n =O(n^{1 / 2})$] we have asymptotic normality if $m \leq 26$ and typically periodic behavior if $m \geq 27$; (ii) for moderate toll sequences [roughly, $t_n = \omega(n^{1 / 2})$ but $t_n = o(n)$] we have convergence to non-normal distributions if $m \leq m_0$ (where $m_0 \geq 26$) and typically periodic behavior if $m \geq m_0 + 1$; and (iii) for large toll sequences [roughly, $t_n = \omega(n)$] we have convergence to non-normal distributions for all values of m.Comment: 35 pages, 1 figure. Version 2 consists of expansion and rearragement of the introductory material to aid exposition and the shortening of Appendices A and B.

Limit Laws for Functions of Fringe trees for Binary Search Trees and Recursive Trees

We prove limit theorems for sums of functions of subtrees of binary search trees and random recursive trees. In particular, we give simple new proofs of the fact that the number of fringe trees of size $k=k_n$ in the binary search tree and the random recursive tree (of total size $n$) asymptotically has a Poisson distribution if $k\rightarrow\infty$, and that the distribution is asymptotically normal for $k=o(\sqrt{n})$. Furthermore, we prove similar results for the number of subtrees of size $k$ with some required property $P$, for example the number of copies of a certain fixed subtree $T$. Using the Cram\'er-Wold device, we show also that these random numbers for different fixed subtrees converge jointly to a multivariate normal distribution. As an application of the general results, we obtain a normal limit law for the number of $\ell$-protected nodes in a binary search tree or random recursive tree. The proofs use a new version of a representation by Devroye, and Stein's method (for both normal and Poisson approximation) together with certain couplings

Simply Generated Trees, B-series and Wigner Processes

We consider simply generated trees and study multiplicative functions on rooted plane trees. We show that the associated generating functions satisfy differential equations or difference equations. Our approach considers B-series from Butcher's theory, the generating functions are seen as generalized Runge-Kutta methodsComment: 19 pages, 1 figur

Asymptotic Normality of Almost Local Functionals in Conditioned Galton-Watson Trees

An additive functional of a rooted tree is a functional that can be calculated recursively as the sum of the values of the functional over the branches, plus a certain toll function. Janson recently proved a central limit theorem for additive functionals of conditioned Galton-Watson trees under the assumption that the toll function is local, i.e. only depends on a fixed neighbourhood of the root. We extend his result to functionals that are almost local, thus covering a wider range of functionals. Our main result is illustrated by two explicit examples: the (logarithm of) the number of matchings, and a functional stemming from a tree reduction process that was studied by Hackl, Heuberger, Kropf, and Prodinger

Central limit theorems for fringe trees in patricia tries

We give theorems about asymptotic normality of general additive functionals on patricia tries in an i.i.d. setting, derived from results on tries by Janson (2022). These theorems are applied to show asymptotic normality of the distribution of random fringe trees in patricia tries. Formulas for asymptotic mean and variance are given. The proportion of fringe trees with $k$ keys is asymptotically, ignoring oscillations, given by $(1-\rho(k))/(H+J)k(k-1)$ with the source entropy $H$, an entropy-like constant $J$, that is $H$ in the binary case, and an exponentially decreasing function $\rho(k)$. Another application gives asymptotic normality of the independence number

On the exponential functional of Markov Additive Processes, and applications to multi-type self-similar fragmentation processes and trees

A Markov Additive Process is a bi-variate Markov process $(\xi,J)=\big((\xi_t,J_t),t\geq0\big)$ which should be thought of as a multi-type L\'evy process: the second component $J$ is a Markov chain on a finite space $\{1,\ldots,K\}$, and the first component $\xi$ behaves locally as a L\'evy process, with local dynamics depending on $J$. In the subordinator-like case where $\xi$ is nondecreasing, we establish several results concerning the moments of $\xi$ and of its exponential functional $I_{\xi}=\int_{0}^{\infty} e^{-\xi_t}\mathrm dt,$ extending the work of Carmona et al., and Bertoin and Yor. We then apply these results to the study of multi-type self-similar fragmentation processes: these are self-similar analogues of Bertoin's homogeneous multi-type fragmentation processes Notably, we encode the genealogy of the process in a tree, and under some Malthusian hypotheses, compute its Hausdorff dimension in a generalisation of our previous work.Comment: Minor corrections and typo