On a nonhierarchical version of the generalized random energy model

We introduce a natural nonhierarchical version of Derrida's generalized random energy model. We prove that, in the thermodynamical limit, the free energy is the same as that of a suitably constructed GREM.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/105051605000000665 in the Annals of Applied Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aap/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

From Derrida's random energy model to branching random walks: from 1 to 3

We study the extremes of a class of Gaussian fields with in-built hierarchical structure. The number of scales in the underlying trees depends on a parameter alpha in [0,1]: choosing alpha=0 yields the random energy model by Derrida (REM), whereas alpha=1 corresponds to the branching random walk (BRW). When the parameter alpha increases, the level of the maximum of the field decreases smoothly from the REM- to the BRW-value. However, as long as alpha<1 strictly, the limiting extremal process is always Poissonian.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figur

The genealogy of extremal particles of Branching Brownian Motion

Branching Brownian Motion describes a system of particles which diffuse in space and split into offsprings according to a certain random mechanism. In virtue of the groundbreaking work by M. Bramson on the convergence of solutions of the Fisher-KPP equation to traveling waves, the law of the rightmost particle in the limit of large times is rather well understood. In this work, we address the full statistics of the extremal particles (first-, second-, third- etc. largest). In particular, we prove that in the large $t-$limit, such particles descend with overwhelming probability from ancestors having split either within a distance of order one from time 0, or within a distance of order one from time $t$. The approach relies on characterizing, up to a certain level of precision, the paths of the extremal particles. As a byproduct, a heuristic picture of Branching Brownian Motion "at the edge" emerges, which sheds light on the still unknown limiting extremal process.Comment: 27 pages, 5 figures, final version accepted for publication in CPA