On the detection of superdiffusive behaviour in time series

We present a new method for detecting superdiffusive behaviour and for determining rates of superdiffusion in time series data. Our method applies equally to stochastic and deterministic time series data (with no prior knowledge required of the nature of the data) and relies on one realisation (ie one sample path) of the process. Linear drift effects are automatically removed without any preprocessing. We show numerical results for time series constructed from i.i.d. $\alpha$-stable random variables and from deterministic weakly chaotic maps. We compare our method with the standard method of estimating the growth rate of the mean-square displacement as well as the $p$-variation method, maximum likelihood, quantile matching and linear regression of the empirical characteristic function

Phase transitions for the Boolean model of continuum percolation for Cox point processes

We consider the Boolean model with random radii based on Cox point processes. Under a condition of stabilization for the random environment, we establish existence and non-existence of subcritical regimes for the size of the cluster at the origin in terms of volume, diameter and number of points. Further, we prove uniqueness of the infinite cluster for sufficiently connected environments.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figure

Around the circular law

These expository notes are centered around the circular law theorem, which states that the empirical spectral distribution of a nxn random matrix with i.i.d. entries of variance 1/n tends to the uniform law on the unit disc of the complex plane as the dimension $n$ tends to infinity. This phenomenon is the non-Hermitian counterpart of the semi circular limit for Wigner random Hermitian matrices, and the quarter circular limit for Marchenko-Pastur random covariance matrices. We present a proof in a Gaussian case, due to Silverstein, based on a formula by Ginibre, and a proof of the universal case by revisiting the approach of Tao and Vu, based on the Hermitization of Girko, the logarithmic potential, and the control of the small singular values. Beyond the finite variance model, we also consider the case where the entries have heavy tails, by using the objective method of Aldous and Steele borrowed from randomized combinatorial optimization. The limiting law is then no longer the circular law and is related to the Poisson weighted infinite tree. We provide a weak control of the smallest singular value under weak assumptions, using asymptotic geometric analysis tools. We also develop a quaternionic Cauchy-Stieltjes transform borrowed from the Physics literature.Comment: Added: one reference and few comment

A moment-matching Ferguson and Klass algorithm

Completely random measures (CRM) represent the key building block of a wide variety of popular stochastic models and play a pivotal role in modern Bayesian Nonparametrics. A popular representation of CRMs as a random series with decreasing jumps is due to Ferguson and Klass (1972). This can immediately be turned into an algorithm for sampling realizations of CRMs or more elaborate models involving transformed CRMs. However, concrete implementation requires to truncate the random series at some threshold resulting in an approximation error. The goal of this paper is to quantify the quality of the approximation by a moment-matching criterion, which consists in evaluating a measure of discrepancy between actual moments and moments based on the simulation output. Seen as a function of the truncation level, the methodology can be used to determine the truncation level needed to reach a certain level of precision. The resulting moment-matching \FK algorithm is then implemented and illustrated on several popular Bayesian nonparametric models.Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, 5 table

Structured Random Matrices

Random matrix theory is a well-developed area of probability theory that has numerous connections with other areas of mathematics and its applications. Much of the literature in this area is concerned with matrices that possess many exact or approximate symmetries, such as matrices with i.i.d. entries, for which precise analytic results and limit theorems are available. Much less well understood are matrices that are endowed with an arbitrary structure, such as sparse Wigner matrices or matrices whose entries possess a given variance pattern. The challenge in investigating such structured random matrices is to understand how the given structure of the matrix is reflected in its spectral properties. This chapter reviews a number of recent results, methods, and open problems in this direction, with a particular emphasis on sharp spectral norm inequalities for Gaussian random matrices.Comment: 46 pages; to appear in IMA Volume "Discrete Structures: Analysis and Applications" (Springer