Heavy tails in last passage percolation

We consider last-passage percolation models in two dimensions, in which the underlying weight distribution has a heavy tail of index $\alpha<2$. We prove scaling laws and asymptotic distributions, both for the passage times and for the shape of optimal paths; these are expressed in terms of a family (indexed by $\alpha$) of ``continuous last-passage percolation'' models in the unit square. In the extreme case $\alpha=0$ (corresponding to a distribution with slowly varying tail) the asymptotic distribution of the optimal path can be represented by a random self-similar measure on [0,1], whose multifractal spectrum we compute. By extending the continuous last-passage percolation model to $\mathbb{R}^2$ we obtain a heavy-tailed analogue of the Airy process, representing the limit of appropriately scaled vectors of passage times to different points in the plane. We give corresponding results for a directed percolation problem based on $\alpha$-stable Levy processes, and indicate extensions of the results to higher dimensions

Stationary distributions of the multi-type ASEP

We give a recursive construction of the stationary distribution of multi-type asymmetric simple exclusion processes on a finite ring or on the infinite line $Z$. The construction can be interpreted in terms of "multi-line diagrams" or systems of queues in tandem. Let $q$ be the asymmetry parameter of the system. The queueing construction generalises the one previously known for the totally asymmetric ($q=0$) case, by introducing queues in which each potential service is unused with probability $q^k$ when the queue-length is $k$. The analysis is based on the matrix product representation of Prolhac, Evans and Mallick. Consequences of the construction include: a simple method for sampling exactly from the stationary distribution for the system on a ring; results on common denominators of the stationary probabilities, expressed as rational functions of $q$ with non-negative integer coefficients; and probabilistic descriptions of "convoy formation" phenomena in large systems.Comment: 54 pages, 4 figure

Limiting shape for directed percolation models

We consider directed first-passage and last-passage percolation on the nonnegative lattice Z_+^d, d\geq2, with i.i.d. weights at the vertices. Under certain moment conditions on the common distribution of the weights, the limits g(x)=lim_{n\to\infty}n^{-1}T(\lfloor nx\rfloor) exist and are constant a.s. for x\in R_+^d, where T(z) is the passage time from the origin to the vertex z\in Z_+^d. We show that this shape function g is continuous on R_+^d, in particular at the boundaries. In two dimensions, we give more precise asymptotics for the behavior of g near the boundaries; these asymptotics depend on the common weight distribution only through its mean and variance. In addition we discuss growth models which are naturally associated to the percolation processes, giving a shape theorem and illustrating various possible types of behavior with output from simulations.Comment: Published at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/009117904000000838 in the Annals of Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aop/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Reconstruction thresholds on regular trees

We consider a branching random walk with binary state space and index set $T^k$, the infinite rooted tree in which each node has k children (also known as the model of "broadcasting on a tree"). The root of the tree takes a random value 0 or 1, and then each node passes a value independently to each of its children according to a 2x2 transition matrix P. We say that "reconstruction is possible" if the values at the d'th level of the tree contain non-vanishing information about the value at the root as $d\to\infty$. Adapting a method of Brightwell and Winkler, we obtain new conditions under which reconstruction is impossible, both in the general case and in the special case $p_{11}=0$. The latter case is closely related to the "hard-core model" from statistical physics; a corollary of our results is that, for the hard-core model on the (k+1)-regular tree with activity $\lambda=1$, the unique simple invariant Gibbs measure is extremal in the set of Gibbs measures, for any k.Comment: 12 page

The Neolithic transition in Europe: archaeological models and genetic evidence

The major pattern in the European gene pool is a southeast-northwest frequency gradient of classic genetic markers such as blood groups, which population geneticists initially attributed to the demographic impact of Neolithic farmers dispersing from the Near East. Molecular genetics has enriched this picture, with analyses of mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome allowing a more detailed exploration of alternative models for the spread of the Neolithic into Europe. This paper considers a range of possible models in the light of the detailed information now emerging from genetic studies

Batch queues, reversibility and first-passage percolation

We consider a model of queues in discrete time, with batch services and arrivals. The case where arrival and service batches both have Bernoulli distributions corresponds to a discrete-time M/M/1 queue, and the case where both have geometric distributions has also been previously studied. We describe a common extension to a more general class where the batches are the product of a Bernoulli and a geometric, and use reversibility arguments to prove versions of Burke's theorem for these models. Extensions to models with continuous time or continuous workload are also described. As an application, we show how these results can be combined with methods of Seppalainen and O'Connell to provide exact solutions for a new class of first-passage percolation problems.Comment: 16 pages. Mostly minor revisions; some new explanatory text added in various places. Thanks to a referee for helpful comments and suggestion

Quantum fields, dark matter and non-standard Wigner classes

The Elko field of Ahluwalia and Grumiller is a quantum field for massive spin-1/2 particles. It has been suggested as a candidate for dark matter. We discuss our attempts to interpret the Elko field as a quantum field in the sense of Weinberg. Our work suggests that one should investigate quantum fields based on representations of the full Poincar\'e group which belong to one of the non-standard Wigner classes.Comment: 6 pages. Submitted to proceedings of Dark2009, Christchurch, New Zealand, January 200