Symmetric path integrals for stochastic equations with multiplicative noise

A Langevin equation with multiplicative noise is an equation schematically of the form dq/dt = - F(q) + e(q) xi, where e(q) xi is Gaussian white noise whose amplitude e(q) depends on q itself. I show how to convert such equations into path integrals. The definition of the path integral depends crucially on the convention used for discretizing time, and I specifically derive the correct path integral when the convention used is the natural, time-symmetric one that time derivatives are (q_t - q_{t-\Delta t}) / \Delta t and coordinates are (q_t + q_{t-\Delta t}) / 2. [This is the convention that permits standard manipulations of calculus on the action, like naive integration by parts.] It has sometimes been assumed in the literature that a Stratanovich Langevin equation can be quickly converted to a path integral by treating time as continuous but using the rule \theta(t=0) = 1/2. I show that this prescription fails when the amplitude e(q) is q-dependent.Comment: 8 page

Path-integral evolution of multivariate systems with moderate noise

A non Monte Carlo path-integral algorithm that is particularly adept at handling nonlinear Lagrangians is extended to multivariate systems. This algorithm is particularly accurate for systems with moderate noise.Comment: 15 PostScript pages, including 7 figure

Fluctuation relations and rare realizations of transport observables

Fluctuation relations establish rigorous identities for the nonequilibrium averages of observables. Starting from a general transport master equation with time-dependent rates, we employ the stochastic path integral approach to study statistical fluctuations around such averages. We show how under nonequilibrium conditions, rare realizations of transport observables are crucial and imply massive fluctuations that may completely mask such identities. Quantitative estimates for these fluctuations are provided. We illustrate our results on the paradigmatic example of a mesoscopic RC circuit.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; v2: minor changes, published versio

Dynamic charge density correlation function in weakly charged polyampholyte globules

We study solutions of statistically neutral polyampholyte chains containing a large fraction of neutral monomers. It is known that, even if the quality of the solvent with respect to the neutral monomers is good, a long chain will collapse into a globule. For weakly charged chains, the interior of this globule is semi-dilute. This paper considers mainly theta-solvents, and we calculate the dynamic charge density correlation function g(k,t) in the interior of the globules, using the quadratic approximation to the Martin-Siggia-Rose generating functional. It is convenient to express the results in terms of dimensionless space and time variables. Let R be the blob size, and let T be the characteristic time scale at the blob level. Define the dimensionless wave vector q = R k, and the dimensionless time s = t/T. We find that for q<1, corresponding to length scales larger than the blob size, the charge density fluctuations relax according to g(q,s) = q^2(1-s^(1/2)) at short times s < 1, and according to g(q,s) = q^2 s^(-1/2) at intermediate times 1 < s 0.1, where entanglements are unimportant.Comment: 12 pages RevTex, 1 figure ps, PACS 61.25.Hq, reason replacement: Expression for dynamic corr. function g(k,t) in old version was incorrect (though expression for Fourier transform g(k,w) was correct, so the major part of the calculation remains.) Also major textual chang

On the symmetries of BF models and their relation with gravity

The perturbative finiteness of various topological models (e.g. BF models) has its origin in an extra symmetry of the gauge-fixed action, the so-called vector supersymmetry. Since an invariance of this type also exists for gravity and since gravity is closely related to certain BF models, vector supersymmetry should also be useful for tackling various aspects of quantum gravity. With this motivation and goal in mind, we first extend vector supersymmetry of BF models to generic manifolds by incorporating it into the BRST symmetry within the Batalin-Vilkovisky framework. Thereafter, we address the relationship between gravity and BF models, in particular for three-dimensional space-time.Comment: 29 page

Relativistic diffusion processes and random walk models

The nonrelativistic standard model for a continuous, one-parameter diffusion process in position space is the Wiener process. As well-known, the Gaussian transition probability density function (PDF) of this process is in conflict with special relativity, as it permits particles to propagate faster than the speed of light. A frequently considered alternative is provided by the telegraph equation, whose solutions avoid superluminal propagation speeds but suffer from singular (non-continuous) diffusion fronts on the light cone, which are unlikely to exist for massive particles. It is therefore advisable to explore other alternatives as well. In this paper, a generalized Wiener process is proposed that is continuous, avoids superluminal propagation, and reduces to the standard Wiener process in the non-relativistic limit. The corresponding relativistic diffusion propagator is obtained directly from the nonrelativistic Wiener propagator, by rewriting the latter in terms of an integral over actions. The resulting relativistic process is non-Markovian, in accordance with the known fact that nontrivial continuous, relativistic Markov processes in position space cannot exist. Hence, the proposed process defines a consistent relativistic diffusion model for massive particles and provides a viable alternative to the solutions of the telegraph equation.Comment: v3: final, shortened version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Generalized quark-antiquark potential at weak and strong coupling

We study a two-parameter family of Wilson loop operators in N=4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory which interpolates smoothly between the 1/2 BPS line or circle and a pair of antiparallel lines. These observables capture a natural generalization of the quark-antiquark potential. We calculate these loops on the gauge theory side to second order in perturbation theory and in a semiclassical expansion in string theory to one-loop order. The resulting determinants are given in integral form and can be evaluated numerically for general values of the parameters or analytically in a systematic expansion around the 1/2 BPS configuration. We comment about the feasibility of deriving all-loop results for these Wilson loops.Comment: 43 pages: 15 comprising the main text and 25 for detailed appendice

Brownian Simulations and Uni-Directional Flux in Diffusion

Brownian dynamics simulations require the connection of a small discrete simulation volume to large baths that are maintained at fixed concentrations and voltages. The continuum baths are connected to the simulation through interfaces, located in the baths sufficiently far from the channel. Average boundary concentrations have to be maintained at their values in the baths by injecting and removing particles at the interfaces. The particles injected into the simulation volume represent a unidirectional diffusion flux, while the outgoing particles represent the unidirectional flux in the opposite direction. The classical diffusion equation defines net diffusion flux, but not unidirectional fluxes. The stochastic formulation of classical diffusion in terms of the Wiener process leads to a Wiener path integral, which can split the net flux into unidirectional fluxes. These unidirectional fluxes are infinite, though the net flux is finite and agrees with classical theory. We find that the infinite unidirectional flux is an artifact caused by replacing the Langevin dynamics with its Smoluchowski approximation, which is classical diffusion. The Smoluchowski approximation fails on time scales shorter than the relaxation time $1/\gamma$ of the Langevin equation. We find the unidirectional flux (source strength) needed to maintain average boundary concentrations in a manner consistent with the physics of Brownian particles. This unidirectional flux is proportional to the concentration and inversely proportional to $\sqrt{\Delta t}$ to leading order. We develop a BD simulation that maintains fixed average boundary concentrations in a manner consistent with the actual physics of the interface and without creating spurious boundary layers

Probability tree algorithm for general diffusion processes

Motivated by path-integral numerical solutions of diffusion processes, PATHINT, we present a new tree algorithm, PATHTREE, which permits extremely fast accurate computation of probability distributions of a large class of general nonlinear diffusion processes