Comparing Mean Field and Euclidean Matching Problems

Combinatorial optimization is a fertile testing ground for statistical physics methods developed in the context of disordered systems, allowing one to confront theoretical mean field predictions with actual properties of finite dimensional systems. Our focus here is on minimum matching problems, because they are computationally tractable while both frustrated and disordered. We first study a mean field model taking the link lengths between points to be independent random variables. For this model we find perfect agreement with the results of a replica calculation. Then we study the case where the points to be matched are placed at random in a d-dimensional Euclidean space. Using the mean field model as an approximation to the Euclidean case, we show numerically that the mean field predictions are very accurate even at low dimension, and that the error due to the approximation is O(1/d^2). Furthermore, it is possible to improve upon this approximation by including the effects of Euclidean correlations among k link lengths. Using k=3 (3-link correlations such as the triangle inequality), the resulting errors in the energy density are already less than 0.5% at d>=2. However, we argue that the Euclidean model's 1/d series expansion is beyond all orders in k of the expansion in k-link correlations.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figur

Complex zeros of real ergodic eigenfunctions

We determine the limit distribution (as $\lambda \to \infty$) of complex zeros for holomorphic continuations \phi_{\lambda}^{\C} to Grauert tubes of real eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on a real analytic compact Riemannian manifold $(M, g)$ with ergodic geodesic flow. If $\{\phi_{j_k} \}$ is an ergodic sequence of eigenfunctions, we prove the weak limit formula \frac{1}{\lambda_j} [Z_{\phi_{j_k}^{\C}}] \to \frac{i}{\pi} \bar{\partial} {\partial} |\xi|_g, where [Z_{\phi_{j_k}^{\C}}] is the current of integration over the complex zeros and where $\bar{\partial}$ is with respect to the adapted complex structure of Lempert-Sz\"oke and Guillemin-Stenzel.Comment: Added some examples and references. Also added a new Corollary, and corrected some typo

Scattering theory with finite-gap backgrounds: Transformation operators and characteristic properties of scattering data

We develop direct and inverse scattering theory for Jacobi operators (doubly infinite second order difference operators) with steplike coefficients which are asymptotically close to different finite-gap quasi-periodic coefficients on different sides. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the scattering data in the case of perturbations with finite second (or higher) moment.Comment: 23 page

The density of stationary points in a high-dimensional random energy landscape and the onset of glassy behaviour

We calculate the density of stationary points and minima of a $N\gg 1$ dimensional Gaussian energy landscape. We use it to show that the point of zero-temperature replica symmetry breaking in the equilibrium statistical mechanics of a particle placed in such a landscape in a spherical box of size $L=R\sqrt{N}$ corresponds to the onset of exponential in $N$ growth of the cumulative number of stationary points, but not necessarily the minima. For finite temperatures we construct a simple variational upper bound on the true free energy of the $R=\infty$ version of the problem and show that this approximation is able to recover the position of the whole de-Almeida-Thouless line.Comment: a revised and shortened version with a few typos corrected and references added. To appear in JETP Letter

Higher-Order Corrections to Instantons

The energy levels of the double-well potential receive, beyond perturbation theory, contributions which are non-analytic in the coupling strength; these are related to instanton effects. For example, the separation between the energies of odd- and even-parity states is given at leading order by the one-instanton contribution. However to determine the energies more accurately multi-instanton configurations have also to be taken into account. We investigate here the two-instanton contributions. First we calculate analytically higher-order corrections to multi-instanton effects. We then verify that the difference betweeen numerically determined energy eigenvalues, and the generalized Borel sum of the perturbation series can be described to very high accuracy by two-instanton contributions. We also calculate higher-order corrections to the leading factorial growth of the perturbative coefficients and show that these are consistent with analytic results for the two-instanton effect and with exact data for the first 200 perturbative coefficients.Comment: 7 pages, LaTe

Mean field and corrections for the Euclidean Minimum Matching problem

Consider the length $L_{MM}^E$ of the minimum matching of N points in d-dimensional Euclidean space. Using numerical simulations and the finite size scaling law $= \beta_{MM}^E(d) N^{1-1/d}(1+A/N+... )$, we obtain precise estimates of $\beta_{MM}^E(d)$ for $2 \le d \le 10$. We then consider the approximation where distance correlations are neglected. This model is solvable and gives at $d \ge 2$ an excellent ``random link'' approximation to $\beta_{MM}^E(d)$. Incorporation of three-link correlations further improves the accuracy, leading to a relative error of 0.4% at d=2 and 3. Finally, the large d behavior of this expansion in link correlations is discussed.Comment: source and one figure. Submitted to PR

Localization on quantum graphs with random vertex couplings

We consider Schr\"odinger operators on a class of periodic quantum graphs with randomly distributed Kirchhoff coupling constants at all vertices. Using the technique of self-adjoint extensions we obtain conditions for localization on quantum graphs in terms of finite volume criteria for some energy-dependent discrete Hamiltonians. These conditions hold in the strong disorder limit and at the spectral edges

Localization on a quantum graph with a random potential on the edges

We prove spectral and dynamical localization on a cubic-lattice quantum graph with a random potential. We use multiscale analysis and show how to obtain the necessary estimates in analogy to the well-studied case of random Schroedinger operators.Comment: LaTeX2e, 18 page