Fredholm determinants for the stability of travelling waves

This thesis investigates both theoretically and numerically the stability of travelling wave solutions using Fredholm determinants, on the real line. We identify a class of travelling wave problems for which the corresponding integral operators are of trace class. Based on the geometrical interpretation of the Evans function, we give an alternative proof connecting it to (modified) Fredholm determinants. We then extend that connection to the case of front waves by constructing an appropriate integral operator. In the context of numerical evaluation of Fredholm determinants, we prove the uniform convergence associated with the modified/regularised Fredholm determinants which generalises Bornemann's result on this topic. Unlike in Bornemann's result, we do not assume continuity but only integrability with respect to the second argument of the kernel functions. In support to our theory, we present some numerical results. We show how to compute higher order determinants numerically, in particular for integral operators belonging to classes I3 and I4 of the Schatten-von Neumann set. Finally, we numerically compute Fredholm determinants for some travelling wave problems e.g. the `good' Boussinesq equation and the fth-order KdV equation.UK EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) grant EP/G03613

A Fredholm Determinant for Semi-classical Quantization

We investigate a new type of approximation to quantum determinants, the ``\qFd", and test numerically the conjecture that for Axiom A hyperbolic flows such determinants have a larger domain of analyticity and better convergence than the \qS s derived from the \Gt. The conjecture is supported by numerical investigations of the 3-disk repeller, a normal-form model of a flow, and a model 2-$d$ map.Comment: Revtex, Ask for figures from [email protected]

Beyond the periodic orbit theory

The global constraints on chaotic dynamics induced by the analyticity of smooth flows are used to dispense with individual periodic orbits and derive infinite families of exact sum rules for several simple dynamical systems. The associated Fredholm determinants are of particularly simple polynomial form. The theory developed suggests an alternative to the conventional periodic orbit theory approach to determining eigenspectra of transfer operators.Comment: 29 pages Latex2

Evans function and Fredholm determinants

We explore the relationship between the Evans function, transmission coefficient and Fredholm determinant for systems of first order linear differential operators on the real line. The applications we have in mind include linear stability problems associated with travelling wave solutions to nonlinear partial differential equations, for example reaction-diffusion or solitary wave equations. The Evans function and transmission coefficient, which are both finite determinants, are natural tools for both analytic and numerical determination of eigenvalues of such linear operators. However, inverting the eigenvalue problem by the free state operator generates a natural linear integral eigenvalue problem whose solvability is determined through the corresponding infinite Fredholm determinant. The relationship between all three determinants has received a lot of recent attention. We focus on the case when the underlying Fredholm operator is a trace class perturbation of the identity. Our new results include: (i) clarification of the sense in which the Evans function and transmission coefficient are equivalent; and (ii) proof of the equivalence of the transmission coefficient and Fredholm determinant, in particular in the case of distinct far fields.Comment: 26 page

Return probability after a quench from a domain wall initial state in the spin-1/2 XXZ chain

We study the return probability and its imaginary ($\tau$) time continuation after a quench from a domain wall initial state in the XXZ spin chain, focusing mainly on the region with anisotropy $|\Delta|< 1$. We establish exact Fredholm determinant formulas for those, by exploiting a connection to the six vertex model with domain wall boundary conditions. In imaginary time, we find the expected scaling for a partition function of a statistical mechanical model of area proportional to $\tau^2$, which reflects the fact that the model exhibits the limit shape phenomenon. In real time, we observe that in the region $|\Delta|<1$ the decay for large times $t$ is nowhere continuous as a function of anisotropy: it is either gaussian at root of unity or exponential otherwise. As an aside, we also determine that the front moves as $x_{\rm f}(t)=t\sqrt{1-\Delta^2}$, by analytic continuation of known arctic curves in the six vertex model. Exactly at $|\Delta|=1$, we find the return probability decays as $e^{-\zeta(3/2) \sqrt{t/\pi}}t^{1/2}O(1)$. It is argued that this result provides an upper bound on spin transport. In particular, it suggests that transport should be diffusive at the isotropic point for this quench.Comment: 33 pages, 8 figures. v2: typos fixed, references added. v3: minor change