Skip to main content
Springer logoLink to Springer
. 2021 Mar 13;179(3-4):589–647. doi: 10.1007/s00440-021-01034-8

The bead process for beta ensembles

Joseph Najnudel 1,, Bálint Virág 2
PMCID: PMC8550037  PMID: 34720299

Abstract

The bead process introduced by Boutillier is a countable interlacing of the Sine2 point processes. We construct the bead process for general Sineβ processes as an infinite dimensional Markov chain whose transition mechanism is explicitly described. We show that this process is the microscopic scaling limit in the bulk of the Hermite β corner process introduced by Gorin and Shkolnikov, generalizing the process of the minors of the Gaussian Unitary and Orthogonal Ensembles. In order to prove our results, we use bounds on the variance of the point counting of the circular and the Gaussian beta ensembles, proven in a companion paper (Najnudel and Virág in Some estimates on the point counting of the Circular and the Gaussian Beta Ensemble, 2019).

Mathematics Subject Classification: 60B20, 60J55, 60F05, 60J05

Introduction

In Boutillier [6], a remarkable family of point processes on R×Z, called bead processes, and indexed by a parameter γ(-1,1), has been defined. They enjoy the following properties:

Interlacing

The points of two consecutive lines interlace with each other.

Invariance

The distribution of the point process is invariant and ergodic under the natural action of R×Z by translation.

Parameters

The expected number of points in any interval is proportional to its length. Given that (0, 0) is in the process, the expected value of the first positive point on line 1 is proportional to arccosγ.

Gibbs property

The distribution of any point X, given the other points, is uniform on the interval which is allowed by the interlacing property.

It is an open problem whether these properties determine the point process uniquely. Such uniqueness results exist for tilings, see Sheffield [17].

Existence was shown by Boutillier, who considers a determinantal process with an explicit kernel. Its restriction to a line is the standard sine-kernel process. Thus the above description proposes to be the purest probabilistic definition of the Gaudin–Mehta sine kernel process limit of the bulk eigenvalues of the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble (GUE).

Boutillier’s result relies on taking limits of tilings on the torus. Since then, works starting with Johansson and Nordenstam [11] showed that the consecutive minor eigenvalues of the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble also converge to the bead process, where the tilt depends on the global location within the Wigner semicircle. These results have been refined and generalized in Adler et al. [1]. However, the corresponding questions remained open for other matrix ensembles, as the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble (GOE), and the Gaussian Symplectic Ensemble (GSE):

  • Is there a limit of the eigenvalue minor process?

  • Is there a simple characterization as for β=2?

  • Can one derive formulas related to the distribution of beads?

One of the main goals of this paper is to answer these questions positively. The limiting process is defined as an infinite-dimensional Markov chain, the transition from one line to the next being explicitly described. This transition can be viewed as a generalization of the limit, when the dimension n goes to infinity, of the random reflection walk on the unitary group U(n). This walk is the unitary analogue of the random transposition walk studied, for example, in Diaconis and Shahshahani [7], Berestycki and Durrett [3] and Bormashenko [5].

The natural generalization of the transpositions to the setting of the orthogonal group corresponds to the reflections. The orthogonal matrix corresponding to the reflection across the plane with normal unit vector v is I-2vv. To further generalize to the unitary group, we proceed as follows: given a fixed unit complex number η and a unit vector v, we define the complex reflection across v with angle arg(η) as the isometry whose matrix is given by I+(η-1)vv. The random reflection walk (Yk)k1 on the unitary group U(n) is then defined by Yk=X1Xk, where (Xj)j1 are independent reflections for which v is chosen according to uniform measure on the complex unit sphere, and η is fixed.

Note that since the multiplicative increments of the walk are invariant under conjugation by any group element, it follows that Y¯k, the conjugacy class of Yk, also follows a random walk. This, of course, is given by the eigenvalues of Yk; the transition mechanism can be computed as follows. Assuming that the eigenvalues uj of Y¯k are distinct, the eigenvalues of Yk+1 are the solutions of

j=0n-1iuj+zuj-zρj=i1+η1-η 1

where for |z|=1 the summands and the right-hand side are both real. The only randomness is contained in the values ρj, which have a Dirichlet joint distribution with all parameters equal to 1. To summarize, in order to get the evolution of (Y¯k)k1, we pick (ρj)1jn from Dirichlet distribution, form the rational function given by the left-hand side of (1), and look at a particular level set to get the new eigenvalues.

This equation can be lifted to the real line. Let (λj)jZ be the (2πn)-periodic set of λR such that eiλ/n{u1,,un}, and extend the sequence (ρj)1jn periodically with period n to all integer indices. With z=eix/n, the left-hand side of (1) can be written as

limj=-2nρjλj-x.

and the level set of this at i(1+η)/(1-η) gives the lifting of the eigenvalues at the next step. Recall that η is a complex number of modulus 1, related to the angles of the complex reflections involved in the definition of the walk (Yk)k1. Notice now that essentially the only role of n in the above process is given by the joint distribution of the ρ-s. These are n-periodic and Dirichlet; clearly, as n they converge, after suitable renormalization, to independent exponential variables, giving naturally an infinite-dimensional Markov chain.

In the present article, we prove the existence of this Markov chain and deduce a new construction of the bead process. By replacing the exponential variables by gamma variables with general parameter, we construct a natural generalization of the bead process, indexed by a parameter β>0. For β=2, this process is the bead process itself, and then it is the limit of the eigenvalues of the GUE minors when the dimension goes to infinity. For β=1, we show that we get the limit of the eigenvalues of the GOE minors, for β=4, we get the limit of the eigenvalues of the GSE minors, and we generalize this result to all β>0, by considering the Hermite β corners, defined by Gorin and Shkolnikov [10], which can be informally viewed as the “eigenvalues of GβE minors”.

The sequel of the present paper is organized as follows.

In Sect. 2, we give the statement of the most important results of the article, and we refer to later propositions and theorems for the proofs. Our main results involve technicalities which are also explained in the sequel of the article.

In Sect. 3, we detail the above discussion on the random reflection walk, and we deduce a property of invariance for the law of the spectrum of a Haar-distributed unitary matrix, for the transition given by the Eq. (1). We generalize this property to circular beta ensembles for any β>0.

In Sect. 4, we generalize the notion of Stieltjes transform to a class of infinite point measures on the real line for which the series given by the usual definition is not absolutely convergent.

In Sect. 5, we construct a family of Markov chains on a space of point measures, for which the transition mechanism is obtained by taking a level set of the Stieltjes transform defined in Sect. 4.

In Sect. 6, we show how the lifting of the unit circle on the real line defined above connects the results of Sect. 3 to those of Sect. 5.

In Sect. 7, we use some bound on the variance of the number of points of the circular beta ensembles in an arc, in order to take the limit of the results in Sect. 6, when the period of the point measure goes to infinity. We show a property of invariance enjoyed by the determinantal sine-kernel process and its generalizations for all β>0, for the Markov chain defined in Sect. 5. From this Markov chain, we deduce the construction of a stationary point process on R×Z, for which the points of a given line follow the distribution of the Sineβ process introduced in Valkó and Virág [19].

In Sect. 8, we show, under some technical conditions, a property of continuity of the Markov chain with respect to the initial point measure and the weights.

From this result, and from a bound, proven in a companion paper [15] on the variance of the number of points of the Gaussian beta ensemble in intervals, we deduce in Sect. 9 that the generalized bead process constructed in Sect. 7 appears as a limit for the eigenvalues of the minors of Gaussian Ensembles for β{1,2,4}. The case β=2 corresponds to the GUE, for which the convergence to the bead process defined by Boutillier [6] is already known from Adler et al. [1]. Combining our result with [1] then implies that our Markov chain has necessarily the same distribution as the bead process given in [6]. The case β=1 gives the convergence of the renormalized eigenvalues of the GOE minors, and the case β=4 gives the convergence of the renormalized eigenvalues of the GSE minors. For other values of β, we get a similar result of convergence for the renormalized points of the Hermite β corner defined in [10].

Statement of the main results

Our main result generalizes the bead process to any β>0. We need the following definitions.

  • Let L be the family of all the discrete subsets L of R, unbounded from above and from below, and such that for x, Card(L[0,x])=O(x), and for fixed a,bR, x,
    Card(L[0,x+a])-Card(L[-x+b,0])=O(x/log2x).
    We endow the space L with the σ-algebra generated by the maps LCard(LB) for all Borel sets BR. We will use (λj)jZ as the unique increasing labeling of L so that λ-1<0λ0.
  • Let Γ be the family of doubly infinite sequences (γj)jZ satisfying the following assumptions: for k going to infinity,
    j=0kγj=ck+O(k/log2k)andj=0kγ-j=ck+O(k/log2k),
    where c>0 is a constant. We endow Γ with the σ-algebra generated by the coordinate maps γj, jZ.

Theorem 1

  1. There exists a map D:L×Γ×RL, defined by
    D(L,(γj)jZ,h)=zR,limcjZ,λjL[-c,c]γjλj-z=h.
  2. For any probability measure Π on Γ×R and any initial condition X0 in L, we can define a Markov chain by as follows: let Gk be independent samples from Π, and set
    Xk+1=D(Xk,Gk),k0.
  3. Assume that under Π the ((β/4)γj)jZ are independent Gamma random variables of shape parameter β/2, and h is a deterministic real number. Let X0 be distributed as the Sineβ-process.

    Then Xk is a stationary Markov chain. The β-bead process on R×N0 with level h is defined as the set
    k0(Xk×{k}).
    The bead process on R×Z is the unique Z-shift-invariant extension of the process on R×N0.

This theorem, which defines the β-bead process, is a consequence of results proven later in the article. The fact that the map D is well-defined is obtained in Sect. 5, as a consequence of a discussion on the existence and the regularity in z of the limit

limcjZ,λjL[-c,c]γjλj-z

which is made in Sect. 4, and which explains the technicalities involved in the definition of L and Γ. The invariance property of the distribution of the Sineβ process for the Markov chain is proven in Theorem 13. An informal definition of the β-bead process can be given as follows: a β-bead process is a countable family of Sineβ point processes, such that each of them is obtained from the previous one by putting independent Gamma(β/2) distributed weights on the points, and by taking a given level set of the Stieltjes transform of the corresponding point measure. Notice that the point measure here is infinite and that the series defining the Stietjes transform is not absolutely convergent, which explains some of the technicalities involved in Theorem 1. Notice that the properties of the Stieltjes transform imply that two consecutive Sineβ point processes involved in a β-bead process interlace with each other.

We prove Theorem 13 by finite approximation. There is general beta version of the eigenvalue evolution of the complex reflection random walk on unitary matrices. It corresponds exactly to taking γi to be n-periodic with Dirichlet(β/2,,β/2) distribution in Theorem 1. The periodic lifting of the circular beta ensemble points to the real line is a stationary distribution for the corresponding Markov chain, see Theorem 12. In Theorem 13, we show that as n, this sequence of Markov chains converges, and we identify the β-bead process as its limit.

The bead process introduced by Boutillier is a determinantal process, with an explicit kernel. In the present article, we do not study the question of the correlations of the β-bead process: we expect that there are no simple general formulas, since the problem of finding explicit formulas for the correlations of the Sineβ process is already unsolved for general β>0. It may be possible to find expressions involving Pfaffians for the correlations of the β-bead process for β=1 and β=4.

Another natural question related to Theorem 1 is the following: is the Sineβ distribution the unique invariant measure for the Markov chain associated to i.i.d. independent Gamma(β/2) weights and independent level h? Strictly speaking, the answer is negative since we can multiply the points of the Sineβ by a non-zero constant and still get an invariant distribution for the Markov chain. If we restrict the discussion to point processes on R for which the number of points in [0, x] and the number of points in [-x,0] are equivalent to x/2π when x goes to infinity, we do not know if the invariant measure is unique. Symmetrically, one can also ask about the existence of other measures Π on Γ×R for which the Sineβ distribution is invariant for the Markov chain.

The main property of the β-bead process is that it is the scaling limit of the Hermite β corner process introduced by Gorin and Shkolnikov [10], see also [8, Proposition 4.3.2]. From Definition 1.1 of [10], we have, after taking t=2/β:

Definition 2

Let n1 be an integer. A Hermite β corner process with n levels is a random set of reals (λj(k))1jkn subject to the interlacing conditions λj(k)λj(k-1)λj+1(k) and such that the density of its probability distribution is given by

i<j(λj(n)-λi(n))j=1ne-βλj(n)/4k=1n-11i<jk(λj(k)-λi(k))2-β×a=1kb=1k+1|λa(k)-λb(k+1)|(β/2)-1.

From [8, Proposition 4.3.2] (see Proposition 24) and the discussion above, we deduce that the successive levels (λ(k))1kn of a Hermite β corner process can be constructed as an inhomogeneous Markov chain whose transitions are explicitly written in term of level sets of Stieltjes transforms. Similar Markov chains and representations of eigenvalues of successive minors of random matrices in terms of zeros of meromorphic functions can be found in the literature: for more detail, we refer to articles by Gelfand and Naimark [9], Baryshnikov [2], Neretin [14], Okounkov and Reshetikhin [16].

This constructions implies that one can define a Hermite β corner process (λj(k))1jk with infinitely many levels, in such a way that (λj(k))1jkn is a Hermite β corner process with n levels for all n1. Moreover, for each n1 the nth level λ(n) follows the Gaussian β Ensemble, i.e. its joint density, with respect to the Lebesgue measure, is proportional to

e-βk=1nλk(n)/4j<k|λj(n)-λk(n)|β.

This, up to a change in the normalization, is shown in [10]. As we explain in more detail at the beginning of Sect. 9, the eigenvalues of the successive minors of a n×n matrix following the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble (β=1), the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble (β=2), or the Gaussian Symplectic Ensemble (β=4), with a suitable normalization, have the same law as the successive levels of a Hermite β corner process with n levels. If we take the minors of an infinite matrix, we get a Hermite β corner with infinitely many levels. For this reason, for general β>0, the Hermite β corner process can be thought as the “eigenvalues of GβE minors”. In the present article, we prove that the β-bead process is the microscopic scaling limit of the Hermite β corner process. From now, if (Ξn)n1, Ξ are locally finite measures on a measurable subspace of Rp for some p1 (e.g. R or R×N0), we will say that Ξn converges to Ξ locally weakly if and only if for all continuous functions from Rp to R, compactly supported,

RpΦdΞnnRpΦdΞ.

The precise statement of our result is then the following:

Theorem 3

Let us fix E(-2,2). Let (λj(k))1jk be a Hermite β corner process with infinitely many levels. For n1, we consider the point process on R×Z defined as the set

Xn:=(λj(n+k)-En)n(4-E2),k),kZ[-n+1,).

Then, the sum of Dirac measures at the points of Xn converges in law to the sum of Dirac measures at the points of a β-bead process on R×Z, for the topology of locally weak convergence of measures on R×Z, with a level h given by

h=-E4-E2.

If we restrict the point processes to R×N0, i.e. we take only points corresponding to k0, this statement corresponds to the first part of Theorem 26, the level k of the point process Xn corresponding to the point process Ξn(k). Once the result is proven for point processes on R×N0, a suitable shift of n gives convergence of point processes on R×(Z[-m,)) for any fixed mZ, and then convergence of point processes on R×Z since the test functions in the locally weak convergence are compactly supported. The second part of Theorem 26 gives the following property of compatibility:

Theorem 4

For fixed hR, the β-bead process on R×Z for β=2 and level h has the same law as the bead process in the sense of [6], with parameter

γ=-h1+h2.

Random reflection chains on the unitary group

We start with a brief review of how multiplication by complex reflections changes eigenvalues. Let UU(n) be a unitary matrix with distinct eigenvalues u1,,un, and let v be a unit vector. Let a1,,an be the coefficients of v in a basis of unit eigenvectors of U, and let ρj=|aj|2 for 1jn: the law of (ρ1,,ρn) does not depend on the choice of the eigenvector basis and the sum of these numbers is equal to 1.

If η1 is a complex number of modulus 1, the complex reflection with angle argη and vector v corresponds to the unitary matrix I+(η-1)vv. If we multiply U by this reflection, we get a new matrix whose eigenvalues u satisfy

0=detU(I+(η-1)vv)-u,

which can be rewritten as

0=det(U-u)detI+(η-1)Uvv(U-u)-1

when u is not an eigenvalue of U. Now, the second argument is I plus a rank-1 matrix, so its determinant equals 1 plus the trace of the rank-1 matrix. Thus the equation above reduces to

0=1+(η-1)tr(Uvv(U-u)-1)=1+(η-1)v((U-u)-1U)v.

Expanding U in the basis of its eigenvectors and eigenvalues uj, we get

1=(1-η)j=1nρjujuj-u

or, after a transformation,

j=1niρjuj+uuj-u=i1+η1-η. 2

As u moves counterclockwise on the unit circle, and on each arc between two consecutive poles, the left-hand side of (2) is continuous and strictly increasing from - to . Hence, the matrix U(I+(η-1)vv) has exactly one eigenvalue in each arc between eigenvalues of U: in other words, the eigenvalues of U(I+(η-1)vv) strictly interlace between those of U, and are given by the solutions u of the Eq. (2).

Consider the product of the unit sphere in Cn and R, and a distribution π on this space which is invariant under permutations of the n coordinates of the sphere, and by multiplication of each of these coordinates by complex numbers of modulus one. For such a distribution, we can associate a Markov chain on unitary matrices as follows. Given U0,,Uk, we pick a sample ((a1,,an),h) from π independently from the past. Then, Uk+1 is defined as the product of Uk by the reflection with parameter η so that h=iη+1η-1, and vector v=ajφj, where (φj)1jn are unit eigenvectors of Uk (from the assumption made on π, the law of v does not depend on the choice of the phases of the eigenvectors (φj)1jn).

From the discussion above, it is straightforward that if Vk is the spectrum of Uk, then (Vk)k0 forms a Markov process as well; its distribution depends on the coefficients aj only through ρj=|aj|2. The transition is given as follows: given Vj, (ρj)1jn and h, Vj+1 is formed by the n solutions of (2).

When a is uniform on the unit complex sphere of Cn, and h is independent of a, then (ρj)1jn has Dirichlet(1,,1) distribution, and the corresponding reflection is independent of Uk. Thus the Markov chain reduces to a random walk: Uj=U0R1Rk, where the reflections (Rk)k1 are independent.

It is immediate that the Haar measure on U(n) is invariant for this random walk. One deduces that if (ρj)1jn follows a Dirichlet distribution with all parameters equal to 1, if h (and then η) is independent of (ρj)1jn, if the points of V0 follow the distribution of the eigenvalues of the CUE in dimension n, and if (Vk)k0 is the Markov chain described above, then the law of Vk does not depends of k: the CUE distribution is invariant for this Markov chain.

This invariance property can be generalized to other distributions π.

Indeed, as in Simon [18], one can associate to the point measure σ:=j=1nρjδuj a so-called Schur function fσ, which is rational, and which can be defined by the equation:

Uiv+uv-udσ(v)=i1+ufσ(u)1-ufσ(u). 3

Moreover, as explained in [18], by Geronimus theorem, we also have

fσ(u)=Rα0MuRα1MuRα2Rαn-2Mu(αn-1),

where Mu denotes the multiplication by u, the (αj)0jn-1 are the Verblunsky coefficients associated to the orthogonal polynomials with respect to the measure σ, and for all αD, Rα is the Möbius transformation given by

Rα(z)=α+z1+α¯z.

By (3), we see that (2) is satisfied if and only if ufσ(u)=η, or equivalently,

Mη-1MuRα0MuRα1Mu(αn-1)=1. 4

Now, Mη-1 and Mu commute and for αD, Mη-1Rα=Rαη-1Mη-1. One deduces that (4) is equivalent to

MuRα0η-1MuRα1η-1Mu(αn-1η-1)=1,

i.e. ufτ(u)=1, where τ is the finitely supported probability measure whose Verblunsky coefficients are (α0η-1,,αn-1η-1). Now, by the general construction of the Schur functions, the equation ufτ(u)=1 is satisfied if and only if u is a point of the support of τ: in other words, this support is the set of solutions of (2). We deduce that if the distribution π and the law of {u1,,un} are chosen in such a way that (α0η-1,,αn-1η-1) has the same law as (α0,,αn-1), then the law of {u1,,un} is invariant for the Markov chain described above. The precise statement is the following:

Proposition 5

Let π be a probability distribution on the product of the unit sphere of Cn and R, under which the first component (a1,,an) is independent of the second h=i(1+η)/(1-η). We suppose that the law of (a1,,an) is invariant by permutation of the coordinates, and by their pointwise multiplication by complex numbers of modulus 1. Let P be a probability measure of the sets of n points {u1,,un}, such that under the product measure Pπ, the sequence (α0,,αn-1) of Verblunsky coefficients associated to the measure

σ=1jnρjδuj=1jn|aj|2δuj.

has a law which is invariant by multiplication by complex numbers of modulus 1. Then, the measure P is invariant for the Markov chain associated to π: more precisely, under Pπ, the law of the set of solutions of (2) is equal to P.

It is not obvious to find explicitly some measures P and π under which the law of the Verblunsky coefficients is invariant by rotation. An important example is obtained by considering the so-called circular beta ensembles. These ensembles are constructed as follows: for some parameter β>0, one defines a probability measure Pn,β on the sets of n points on the unit circle, such that the corresponding n-point correlation function rn,β is given, for z1,znU, by

rn,β(z1,,zn)=Cn,β1j<kn|zj-zk|β,

where Cn,β>0 is a normalization constant. Note that, for β=2, one obtains the distribution of the spectrum of a random n×n unitary matrix following the Haar measure. Now, let πn,β be any distribution on the product of the unit sphere of Cn and R, such that with the notation above, h is independent of (ρ0,,ρn-1), which has a Dirichlet distribution with all parameters equal to β/2. Then, under Pn,βπn,β, the distribution of the Verblunsky coefficients (α0,α1,,αn-1) has been computed in Killip and Nenciu [12]. One obtains the following:

  • The coefficients α0,α1,αn-1 are independent random variables.

  • The coefficient αn-1 is uniform on the unit circle.

  • For j{0,1,,n-2}, the law of αj has density (β/2)(n-j-1)(1-|αj|2)(β/2)(n-j-1)-1 with respect to the uniform probability measure on the unit disc: note that |αj|2 is then a beta variable of parameters 1 and β(n-j-1)/2.

Therefore, the law of (α0,α1,,αn-1) is invariant by rotation, and one deduces the following result:

Proposition 6

The law of the circular beta ensemble is an invariant measure for the Markov chain associated to πn,β. More precisely, under Pn,βπn,β, the set of solutions of (2) follows the distribution Pn,β.

In the next sections, we will take a limit when n goes to infinity. For this purpose, we need to consider point processes on the real line instead of the unit circle, and to find an equivalent of the Eq. (2) in this setting.

Stieltjes transform for point measures

Let Λ be a σ-finite point measure on R, which can be written as follows:

Λ=λLγλδλ,

where L is a discrete subset of the real line, γλ>0 for all λL, and δλ is the Dirac measure at λ. The usual definition of the Stieltjes transform applied to Λ gives, for zC\{L}:

SΛ(z)=λLγλλ-z. 5

If the set L is finite, then SΛ(z) is well-defined as a rational function. If L is infinite and if the right-hand side of (5) is absolutely convergent, then this equation is still meaningful. The following result implies that under some technical assumptions, one can define SΛ even if (5) does not apply directly:

Theorem 7

Assume that for all a,bR, Λ[0,x+a]-Λ[-x+b,0]=O(x/log2x) as x. Then, for all zC\{L}, there exists SΛ(z)C such that

λL[-c,c]γλλ-zcSΛ(z).

The function SΛ defined in this way is meromorphic, with simple poles at the elements of L, and the residue at λL is equal to -γλ. The derivative of SΛ is given by

SΛ(z)=λLγλ(λ-z)2, 6

where the convergence of the series is uniform on compact sets of C\{L}. For all pairs {λ1,λ2} of consecutive points in L, with λ1<λ2, the function SΛ is a strictly increasing bijection from (λ1,λ2) to R. Moreover, we have the following translation invariance: if yR and Λ satisfies the conditions above, then so does its translation Λ+y, and one has

SΛ+y(z+y)=SΛ(z)

for all zC\{L}.

Remark 8

The bound x/log2x is not optimal (any increasing function which is negligible with respect to x and integrable against dx/x2 at infinity would work). However, it will be sufficient for our purpose.

Proof

Let c0>1, and zC such that |z|c0/2. For c>c0, we have:

λL([-c,-c0][c0,c])γλλ-z=λL[c0,c]γλλdμ(μ-z)2-λL[-c,-c0]γλ-λdμ(μ-z)2=c0Λ([c0,cμ])(μ-z)2dμ---c0Λ([(-c)μ,-c0])(μ-z)2dμ=c0Λ([c0,cμ])(μ-z)2-Λ([-(cμ),-c0])(μ+z)2dμ=c0Λ([c0,cμ])-Λ([-(cμ),-c0])μ2dμ+c0(2zμ-z2)(Λ([c0,cμ]))μ2(μ-z)2+(2zμ+z2)(Λ([-(cμ),-c0]))μ2(μ+z)2dμ.

Let F be an increasing function from R+ to R+:=(0,), such that F(x) is equivalent to x/log2x when x goes to infinity. By assumption, there exists C>0 such that for all x0, |Λ([0,x])-Λ([-x,0])|CF(x), and then, for all μc0,

|Λ([c0,cμ])-Λ([-(cμ),-c0])|CF(cμ)+Λ([-c0,c0])C+Λ([-c0,c0])F(0)F(μ).

Since μF(μ)/μ2 is integrable at infinity, one obtains, by dominated convergence,

c0Λ([c0,cμ])-Λ([-(cμ),-c0])μ2dμcc0Λ([c0,μ])-Λ([-μ,-c0])μ2dμ,

where the limiting integral is absolutely convergent. Similarly, there exist C,C>0 such that for all x0, |Λ([0,x+1])-Λ([-x,0])|CF(x) and |Λ([0,x])-Λ([-x-1,0])|CF(x), which implies that

Λ((x,x+1])+Λ([-x-1,-x))|Λ([0,x+1])-Λ([-x,0])|+|Λ([0,x])-Λ([-x-1,0])|(C+C)F(x).

Hence, for all integers n1,

Λ([-n,n])=Λ({0})+k=0n-1(Λ((k,k+1])+Λ([-k-1,-k))Λ({0})+(C+C)k=0n-1F(k)KnF(n-1)

where K>0 is a constant, and then for all x0, Λ([-x,x])K(1+x)F(x), which implies that for μc0, Λ([-(cμ),-c0])K(1+μ)F(μ) and Λ([c0,cμ])K(1+μ)F(μ). Moreover, since |z|c0/2μ/2, one has |μ-z|μ/2, |μ+z|μ/2 and

(2zμ-z2)μ2(μ-z)2+(2zμ+z2)μ2(μ+z)222.5|z|μμ2(μ/2)2=20|z|/μ310c0/μ3 7

Since μ(1+μ)F(μ)/μ3 is integrable at infinity, one can again apply dominated convergence and obtain that

c0(2zμ-z2)(Λ([c0,cμ]))μ2(μ-z)2+(2zμ+z2)(Λ([-(cμ),-c0]))μ2(μ+z)2dμ

tends to

c0(2zμ-z2)(Λ([c0,μ]))μ2(μ-z)2+(2zμ+z2)(Λ([-μ,-c0]))μ2(μ+z)2dμ

when c goes to infinity. Therefore,

λL([-c,-c0][c0,c])γλλ-zcc0Λ([c0,μ])-Λ([-μ,-c0])μ2dμ+c0(2zμ-z2)(Λ([c0,μ]))μ2(μ-z)2+(2zμ+z2)(Λ([-μ,-c0]))μ2(μ+z)2dμ,

which proves the existence of the limit defining SΛ(z): explicitly, for zC\{L} and for any c0>2|z|1,

SΛ(z)=λL(-c0,c0)γλλ-z+c0Λ([c0,μ])-Λ([-μ,-c0])μ2dμ+c0(2zμ-z2)(Λ([c0,μ]))μ2(μ-z)2+(2zμ+z2)(Λ([-μ,-c0]))μ2(μ+z)2dμ. 8

For fixed c0>0, the first term of (8) is a rational function of z, the second term of (8) does not depend on z, and by dominated convergence, the third term can be differentiated in the integral if we restrict z to the set {|z|<c0/2}. Hence, the restriction of SΛ to the set {|z|<c0/2} is meromorphic, with simple poles at points λL(-c0/2,c0/2). Since c0 can be taken arbitrarily large, SΛ is in fact meromorphic on C, with poles λL, the pole λ having residue -γλ. The derivative SΛ(z) is given, for any c0>2|z|1, by:

SΛ(z)=λL(-c0,c0)γλ(λ-z)2+2c0(Λ([c0,μ]))(μ-z)3+(Λ([-μ,-c0]))(μ+z)3dμ.=λL(-c0,c0)γλ(λ-z)2+c0λL[c0,μ]γλ2dμ(μ-z)3+c0λL[-μ,-c0]γλ2dμ(μ+z)3=λL(-c0,c0)γλ(λ-z)2+λL[c0,)γλλ2dμ(μ-z)3+λL(-,c0]γλ-λ2dμ(μ+z)3,

which implies (6). Note that the implicit use of Fubini theorem in this computation is correct since all the sums and integral involved are absolutely convergent.

Now, let K be a compact set of C\L, let d>0 be the distance between K and L, and let A>0 be the maximal modulus of the elements of K. For all zK and λL, one has, for |λ|2A+1,

γλ(λ-z)2γλd21+(2A+1)2d2·γλ1+λ2

and for |λ|2A+1,

γλ(λ-z)2γλ(|λ|-A)24γλλ28γλ1+λ2.

Hence, in order to prove the uniform convergence of (6) on compact sets, it is sufficient to check that

λLγλ1+λ2<,

but this convergence is directly implied by the absolute convergence of the right-hand side of (6) for any single value of zC\L (say, z=i), which has been proven before.

The formula (6) applied to zR implies immediately that for all pairs {λ1,λ2} of consecutive points in L, with λ1<λ2, the function SΛ is strictly increasing on the interval (λ1,λ2). Moreover, one has for λ{λ1,λ2} and zλ, Sλ(z)γλ/(λ-z), which implies that SΛ(z)- for zλ1 and z>λ1, and SΛ(z)+ for zλ2 and z<λ2. We deduce that SΛ is a bijection from (λ1,λ2) to R.

It only remains to show the invariance by translation. If we fix yR, then for all a,bR, and for x0 large enough,

(Λ+y)([0,x+a])-(Λ+y)([-x+b,0])=Λ([-y,x+a-y])-Λ([-x+b-y,-y])=Λ([0,x+a-y])-Λ([-x+b-y,0])+O(Λ([-|y|,|y|]))=O(x/log2x)+O(1)=O(x/log2x),

and the assumptions of Theorem 7 are satisfied. One has

Λ+y=λLγλδλ+y,

and then for all zC\L,

SΛ+y(z+y)=limcλ(L+y)[-c,c]γλ-yz+y-λ=limcλL[-c-y,c-y]γλz-λ,

which is equal to SΛ(z), provided that we check that

λL[-c-y,c-y]γλz-λ-λL[-c,c]γλz-λc0,

which is implied by

λL[-c-|y|,-c+|y|]γλ|z-λ|+λL[c-|y|,c+|y|]γλ|z-λ|c0. 9

Now, for c>|y|+|z|+1, the left-hand side of (9) is smaller than or equal to

Λ([-c-|y|,-c+|y|])+Λ([c-|y|,c+|y|])c-|z|-|y||Λ([0,c+|y|])-Λ([-c+|y|+1,0])|+|Λ([0,c-|y|-1])-Λ([-c-|y|,0])|c-|y|-|z|=O(1/log2c),

for c tending to infinity.

The assumption of Theorem 7 depends on the fact that the measure Λ is not too far from being symmetric with respect to a given point on the real line. The next proposition expresses this assumption in terms of the support L of Λ and the weights (γλ)λL. The following result gives a sufficient condition for Theorem 7:

Proposition 9

Consider the measure

Λ=jZγjδλj

where (λj)jZ is strictly increasing and neither bounded from above nor from below, and γj>0. Let L be the set {λj,jZ}. Assume that for some c>0,

j=0kγj=ck+O(k/log2k)andj=0kγ-j=ck+O(k/log2k),

when k. If for x one has Card(L[0,x])=O(x) and for all a,bR, Card(L[0,x+a])-Card(L[-x+b,0])=O(x/log2x), then the assumptions of Theorem 7 are satisfied.

Proof

For yR, let N(y) (resp. N(y-)) be the largest index j such that λjy (resp. λj<y). One has, for a,bR and for x large enough,

Λ([0,x+a])=j=N(0-)+1N(x+a)γjandΛ([-x+b,0])=j=N((-x+b)-)N(0)γj,

which implies that for x and then N(x+a), N((-x+b)-)-:

Λ([0,x+a])-Λ([-x+b,0])=c(N(x+a)-|N((-x+b)-)|)+ON(x+a)log2(N(x+a))+|N((-x+b)-)|log2|N((-x+b)-)|.

Now, we have the following estimates:

N(x+a)=Card(L[0,x+a])+O(1)=O(x+a)+O(1)=O(x),N(x+a)log2(N(x+a))=O(x/log2x),N(x+a)-|N((-x+b)-)|=Card(L[0,x+a])-Card(L[-x+b,0])+O(1)=O(x/log2x),|N((-x+b)-)|N(x+a)+|N(x+a)-|N((-x+b)-)||O(x)+O(x/log2x)=O(x)

and

|N((-x+b)-)|log2|N((-x+b)-)|=O(x/log2x).

Putting all together gives:

Λ([0,x+a])-Λ([-x+b,0])=O(x/log2x)

and then the assumptions of Theorem 7 are satisfied.

As written in the statement of Theorem 7, the function SΛ induces a bijection between each interval (λ1,λ2), λ1 and λ2 being two consecutive points of L, and the real line. It is then natural to study the inverse of this bijection, which should map each element of R to a set of points interlacing with L. The precise statement we obtain is the following:

Proposition 10

Let Λ be a measure, whose support L is neither bounded from above nor from below, and satisfying the assumptions of Theorem 7. Then, for all hR, the set SΛ-1(h) of zC\{L} such that SΛ(z)=h is included in R, and interlaces with L, i.e. it contains exactly one point in each open interval between two consecutive points of L. Moreover, if Λ satisfies the assumptions of Proposition 9, then it is also the case for the set L:=SΛ-1(h), i.e. for x going to infinity, one has Card(L[0,x])=O(x) and for all a,bR, Card(L[0,x+a])-Card(L[-x+b,0])=O(x/log2x).

Proof

The interlacing property of points of SΛ-1(h)R comes from the discussion above, so the first part of the proposition is proven if we check that SΛ(z)R if zR. Now, for all zC\L,

ISΛ(z)=limcλL[-c,c]Iγλλ-z=limcλL[-c,c]-γλI(λ-z)R2(λ-z)+I2(λ-z)=limcλL[-c,c]γλI(z)R2(λ-z)+I2(z).

If zR, each term of the last sum is nonzero and has the same sign as I(z). One deduces that ISΛ(z) has the same properties, and then SΛ(z)R.

Now, the interlacing property implies that for any finite interval I,

|Card(LI)-Card(LI)|2.

If Λ satisfies the assumptions of Proposition 9, then for a,bR and for x going to infinity,

Card(L[0,x])=Card(L[0,x])+O(1)=O(x)+O(1)=O(x)

and

Card(L[0,x+a])-Card(L[-x+b,0])=Card(L[0,x+a])-Card(L[-x+b,0])+O(1)=O(x/log2x).

Proposition 10 shows that the Stieltjes transform gives a way to construct a discrete subset of R from another, provided that we get a family (γj)jZ of weights and a parameter hR. In the next section, we use and randomize this procedure in order to define a family of Markov chains satisfying some remarkable properties.

Stieltjes Markov chains

In order to put some randomness in the construction above, we need to define precisely a measurable space in which the point processes will be contained. The choice considered here is the following:

  • We define L as the family of all the discrete subsets L of R, unbounded from above and from below, and satisfying the assumptions of Proposition 9, i.e. for x going to infinity, Card(L[0,x])=O(x) and for all a,bR, Card(L[0,x+a])-Card(L[-x+b,0])=O(x/log2x).

  • We define, on L, the σ-algebra A generated by the maps LCard(LI) for all open, bounded intervals IR, which is also the σ-algebra generated by the maps LCard(LB) for all Borel sets BR.

A similar choice of measurable space has to be made for the weights (γj)jZ:

  • We define Γ as the family of doubly infinite sequences (γj)jZ satisfying the assumptions of Proposition 9, i.e. for k going to infinity,
    j=0kγj=ck+O(k/log2k)andj=0kγ-j=ck+O(k/log2k),
    where c>0 is a constant.
  • We define, on Γ, the σ-algebra C generated by the coordinate maps γj, jZ.

Let D be the map from L×Γ×R to L, defined by:

D(L,(γj)jZ,h)=SjZγjδλj-1(h),

where λj is the unique increasing labeling of L so that λ-1<0λ0. Proposition 10 shows that this is indeed a map to L. It is easy to show that D is measurable. Now for any probability measure Π on Γ×R, it naturally defines a Markov chain (Xk)k0 on L. To get Xk+1 from Xk, just take a fresh sample Gk, independent of Xk and its past, distributed according to the measure Π, and set

Xk+1=D(Xk,Gk).

By construction, (Xk)k0 is then a time-homogeneous Markov chain.

Clearly, if the distribution of X0 is invariant under translations of R, and the distribution of the ((γj)jZ,h) in Gk is invariant under translations of the indices j, it follows that X1 also has a translation-invariant distribution. Here, the invariance of ((γj)jZ,h) by translation of the indices j is used because translating a set of points in R can shift the labeling of the points (λ-1<0λ0).

There are two important examples of probability measures Π for which this construction applies:

  • Under Π, (γj)jZ is a family of i.i.d, square-integrable random variables, and h is independent of (γj)jZ.

  • Under Π, (γj)jZ is a family of random variables, n-periodic for some n1, such that (γ0,γ1,,γn-1)=(γ1,,γn-1,γ0) in law, and h is independent of (γj)jZ.

The fact that (γj)jZ is almost surely in Γ comes from the law of the iterated logarithm in the first example, and directly from the periodicity in the second example.

Periodic Stieltjes Markov chains

Consider the case when

Λ=jZγjδλj

is invariant by translation by 2πn, and when there are n point masses in every interval of length 2πn with total weight 2n. In this case, Λ can be thought as 2n times the lifting of the measure

σ=j=0n-1γj2nδeiλj/n

on the unit circle U under a covering map. Moreover, with u=eiz/n the Stieltjes transform of Λ can be expressed in terms of σ by

SΛ(z)=j=0n-1iγj2neiλj/n+ueiλj/n-u.

Indeed, periodicity implies that for zL, we have

SΛ(z)=limkj=-knkn-1γjλj-z=limkj=0n-1γj=-kk-112πn+λj-z=j=0n-1γjlimk=-kk-112πn+λj-z=12nj=0n-1γjcotλj-z2n.

Therefore, if we set ρj:=γj/2n and uj=eiλj/n, we can check that D(L,(γn)nZ,h) is the set of zR, such that eiz/n satisfies (2), for h=i(1+η)/(1-η).

This property shows that the lifting u{zR,eiz/n=u} from U to R defined above transforms the Markov chain defined in Sect. 3 to the Markov chain defined in Sect. 5. In particular, from Propositions 5 and 6, we deduce the following results:

Theorem 11

Let Π be a probability measure on the space (Γ×R,CB(R)), under which the following holds, for some integer n1:

  • Almost surely under Π, (γn)nZ is n-periodic, and j=0n-1γj=2n.

  • The sequence (γj)jZ is independent of h.

Let Q be a probability on (L,A) under which almost surely, the set L is (2nπ)-periodic and contains exactly n points in the interval [0,2πn): in this case, there exists a sequence (u1,,un) of elements of U, with increasing argument in [0,2π), and such that

L={zR,eiz/n{u1,,un}}.

Under the probability Qπ, one can define a random probability measure σ on the unit circle by:

σ:=12nj=1nγjδuj.

Let us assume that the joint law of the Verblunsky coefficients (α0,,αn-1) of σ is invariant by rotation, i.e. for all uU,

(α0u,αn-1u)=(α0,,αn-1)

in distribution. Then, the probability measure Q is an invariant measure for the Markov chain associated to π.

Theorem 12

Let β>0, n1, and let Πn,β be a probability measure under which the following holds almost surely:

  • The sequence (γn)nZ is n-periodic.

  • The tuple (γ0/2n,,γn-1/2n) follows a Dirichlet distribution with all parameters equal to β/2.

  • The sequence (γj)jZ is independent of h.

Let Qn,β be the distribution of the set

{zR,eiz/nV},

where V is a subset of U following Pn,β, i.e. a circular beta ensemble with parameter β. Then, Qn,β is an invariant measure for the Markov chain associated to Πn,β.

In the next section, we will let n and we will obtain a similar result in which the variables (γn)n1 will be independent and identically distributed.

An invariant measure for independent gamma random variables

In Theorem 12, we have found an invariant measure on L, corresponding to a measure Πn,β under which the sequence (γj)jZ is periodic, each period forming a renormalized Dirichlet distribution. For n1 and β>0 fixed, and under Πn,β, the sequence (γj)jZ can be written in function of a sequence (gj)jZ of i.i.d Gamma variables with parameter β/2, as follows:

γj=2ngk-n/2<n/2g,

where -n/2<kn/2 and kj modulo n. Here, a Gamma variable with parameter θ>0 is normalized in such a way that it has density x(Γ(θ))-1xθ-1e-x with respect to the Lebesgue measure.

For β fixed, if we construct the sequence (γj)jZ for all values of n, starting with the same sequence (gj)jZ, we obtain, by the law of large numbers, that for all jZ, γj tends almost surely to 4gj/β when n goes to infinity. Hence, if we want to make n in Theorem 12, we should consider a measure Πβ under which (βγj/4)jZ is a sequence of i.i.d. Gamma random variables of parameter β/2.

On the other hand, for n going to infinity, the probability Qn,β converges to a limiting measure Qβ, which is the distribution of the so-called Sineβ point process, constructed in [13, 19].

Therefore, taking the limit n in Theorem 12 suggests the following result, whose proof is given below:

Theorem 13

Let β>0, and let Πβ be a probability measure under which the random variables h and (γj)jZ are all independent, γj being equal to 4/β times a gamma random variable of parameter β/2. Then, the law Qβ of the Sineβ point process is carried by the space L and it is an invariant measure for the Markov chain Xk associated to Πβ.

Moreover, for the stationary Markov chains Xn,k defined of Theorem 12 with same h, for every k, (Xn,0,,Xn,k) converges in law to (X0,,Xk) as n, for the topology of locally weak convergence.

Remark 14

Since the variables (γj)jZ are i.i.d. and square-integrable, we have already checked that the Markov chain associated to Πβ is well-defined, as soon as its initial distribution is fixed and carried by L. A consequence of Proposition 16 below is that the probability measure Qβ is indeed carried by L, which means the following: if L is the set of points corresponding to a Sineβ process, then L is unbounded from above and from below, for x going to infinity, Card(L[0,x])=O(x) and for all a,bR, Card(L[0,x+a])-Card(L[-x+b,0])=O(x/log2x).

In order to show the theorem just above, we will use the following results, proven in [15]:

Proposition 15

Let L be a random set of points in R, whose distribution is Qn,β or Qβ. Then, there exists C>0, depending on β but not on n, such that for all x>0,

E[Card(L[0,x])-x/2π2]Clog(2+x)

and

E[Card(L[-x,0])-x/2π2]Clog(2+x).

Proposition 16

For n1 integer, let Ln be a random set of points in R, whose distribution is Qn,β. Let L be a set of points whose distribution is Qβ, and let α>1/3. Then, there exists a tight family (Cn)n{1,2,3,,} of random variables with values in (0,), such that almost surely, for all n{1,2,3,,}, x0,

|Card(Ln[0,x])-x/2π|Cn(1+x)α,

and

|Card(Ln[-x,0])-x/2π|Cn(1+x)α.

Remark 17

For finite n1, the periodicity of Ln implies that |Card(Ln[0,x])-x/2π| is almost surely bounded when x varies. Hence, the result above becomes trivial for n finite if we allow the family (Cn)n{1,2,3,} not to be tight. Moreover, we expect that it remains true for any α>0, and not only for α>1/3.

Proof of Theorem 13

Let Πβ be a probability measure which satisfies the assumptions of Theorem 13, and for n1, let Πn,β be a measure satisfying the assumptions of Theorem 12, for the same value of β. We also assume that the law of h is the same under Πn,β and under Πβ (note that Πn,β and Πβ are uniquely determined by this law). By the discussion preceding the statement of Theorem 13, it is possible, by using a unique family (gj)jZ of i.i.d. gamma variables with parameter β/2, to construct some random sequences (γj)jZ and (γjn)jZ (for all n1) and an independent real-valued random variable h, such that the following holds:

  • ((γj)jZ,h) follows the law Πβ.

  • For all n1, ((γjn)jZ,h) follows the law Πn,β.

  • For all jZ, γjn tends almost surely to γj when n goes to infinity.

Now, for all n1, let Ln be a point process following the distribution Qn,β, and let L be a point process following Qβ. We already know that LnL almost surely. From Proposition 16 under Qβ, we immediately deduce the weaker estimates Card(L[0,x])=x/2π+O(x/log2x) and Card(L[-x,0])=x/2π+O(x/log2x) for x going to infinity, which means that LL almost surely: Qβ is carried by L.

Moreover, by [13], the measure Qn,β tends to Qβ when n goes to infinity, in the following sense: for all functions f from R to R+, C and compactly supported, one has

xLnf(x)nxLf(x) 10

in distribution. By the Skorokhod representation theorem (see [4, Theorem 6.7]) one can assume that the convergence (10) holds almost surely, and one can also suppose that (Ln)n1 and L are independent of (γjn)n1,jZ, (γj)jZ and h.

For n1, let (λjn)jZ be the strictly increasing sequence containing each point of Ln, λ0n being the smallest nonnegative point, and let (λj)jZ be the similar sequence associated to L. One can check that the convergence (10) and the fact that P[0L]=0 imply that for all jZ, λjn converges almost surely to λj when n goes to infinity. Indeed, for j0 and ϵ(0,λj/10), let us consider a test function f taking values in [0, 1], equal to 1 on [ϵ,λj] and to 0 on R\[0,λj+ϵ]. For ϵ small enough, L has no point in [0,ϵ] and j+1 points in [0,λj], which implies that the sum of f at the points of L is at least j+1. Hence, the sum of f at the points of Ln is at least j+(1/2) for n large enough, which implies that Ln has at least j+(1/2) points, and then at least j+1 points, in the interval [0,λj+ϵ]. This implies λjnλj+ϵ. Similarly, if we take f in [0, 1], equal to 1 on [0,λj-2ϵ] and to 0 on R\[-ϵ,λj-ϵ], the sum of f at points on L is at most j for ϵ small enough (because L has no point in [-ϵ,0]), which implies that the sum of f at points on Ln is at most j+(1/2) for n large enough, and then Ln has at most j points in [0,λj-2ϵ], i.e. λjnλj-2ϵ. The case j<0 can be treated similarly.

Now, for all c>0, zC\Ln1Ln, let us take the following notation:

Sn,c(z):=jZγjnλjn-z1|λjn|c,Sc(z):=jZγjλj-z1|λj|c,SN(z):=limcSN,c(z),S(z):=limcSc(z).

Almost surely, all the points of L and Ln (n1) are irrational. If this event occurs, then for all cQ+, there exists almost surely a random finite interval (possibly empty) Ic such that |λj|c if and only if jIc, and for all n1 large enough, |λjn|c if and only if jIc. Hence, for all cQ+, zQ, one has almost surely

Sn,c(z)=jIcγjnλjn-z,Sc(z):=jIcγjλj-z,

if n is large enough. Since Ic is finite, γjn tends a.s. to γj, and λjn tends a.s. to λj when n goes to infinity, one deduces that almost surely, for all cQ+, zQ,

Sn,c(z)nSc(z). 11

On the other hand, by (8), and by the fact that c and -c are a.s. not in L or in Ln, one deduces that almost surely, for all cQ+, zQ such that c>2|z|1, and for all n1,

Sn(z)-Sn,c(z)=cΛn([c,μ])-Λn([-μ,-c])μ2dμ+c(2zμ-z2)(Λn([c,μ]))μ2(μ-z)2+(2zμ+z2)(Λn([-μ,-c]))μ2(μ+z)2dμ

and

S(z)-Sc(z)=cΛ([c,μ])-Λ([-μ,-c])μ2dμ+c(2zμ-z2)(Λ([c,μ]))μ2(μ-z)2+(2zμ+z2)(Λ([-μ,-c]))μ2(μ+z)2dμ,

where Λn:=jZγjnδλjn and Λ:=jZγjδλj. If for any bounded interval I, one defines Λn(0)(I):=Λn(I)-E[Λn(I)] and Λ(0)(I):=Λ(I)-E[Λ(I)], one has by (7), the triangle inequality, and the fact that E[Λn(I)] is proportional to the Lebesgue measure on I:

|Sn(z)-Sn,c(z)|c|Λn(0)([c,μ])|+|Λn(0)([-μ,-c])|μ2dμ+c20|z|dμμ3C1μ+|Λn(0)([c,μ])|+|Λn(0)([-μ,-c])|C2(1+|z|)1c+c|Λn(0)([c,μ])|+|Λn(0)([-μ,-c])|μ2dμ,

where C1,C2>0 are universal constants. Since the distribution of Ln is invariant by translation (recall that its points are the rescaled arguments of the circular beta ensemble on the unit circle), one has

E[|Λn(0)([c,μ])|]=E[|Λn(0)([-μ,-c])|]=E[|Λn(0)([0,μ-c])|]

and

E[|Sn(z)-Sn,c(z)|]C3(1+|z|)1c+0E[|Λn(0)([0,ν])|](ν+c)2dν,

where C3>0 is a universal constant. Similarly,

E[|S(z)-Sc(z)|]C3(1+|z|)1c+0E[|Λ(0)([0,ν])|](ν+c)2dν.

Now, from Proposition 15 under Qn,β and Qβ, one immediately deduces that

0E[|Λ(0)([0,ν])|]+supn1E[|Λn(0)([0,ν])|](1+ν)2dν<. 12

Hence, by dominated convergence, there exists a function ϕ from [1,) to R+, tending to zero at infinity, such that

E[|Sn(z)-Sn,c(z)|](1+|z|)ϕ(c)

and

E[|S(z)-Sc(z)|](1+|z|)ϕ(c).

We deduce that for all cQ+, zQ such that c>2|z|1, n1 and ϵ>0,

P[|S(z)-Sn(z)|ϵ]P[|Sc(z)-Sn,c(z)|ϵ/3]+P[|S(z)-Sc(z)|ϵ/3]+P[|Sn(z)-Sn,c(z)|ϵ/3]P[|Sc(z)-Sn,c(z)|ϵ/3]+6ϵ(1+|z|)ϕ(c).

By the almost sure convergence (11), which implies the corresponding convergence in probability, one deduces

limsupnP[|S(z)-Sn(z)|ϵ]6ϵ(1+|z|)ϕ(c).

Now, by taking zQ fixed, cQ going to infinity and then ϵ0, one deduces that for all zQ,

Sn(z)nS(z)

in probability. By considering diagonal extraction of subsequences, one deduces that there exists a strictly increasing sequence (nk)k1 of integers, such that almost surely,

Snk(z)kS(z) 13

for all zQ.

Now, for all jZ, n1, let μjn (resp. μj) be the unique point of D(Ln,(γjn)jZ,h) (resp. D(L,(γj)jZ,h)) which lies in the interval (λjn,λj+1n) (resp. (λj,λj+1)). Let us fix jZ, ϵ>0, and let us consider two random rational numbers q1 and q2 such that almost surely,

(μj-ϵ)λj<q1<μj<q2<(μj+ϵ)λj+1,

which implies that

S(q1)<h<S(q2).

By (13), one deduces that almost surely, for k large enough,

Snk(q1)<h<Snk(q2),

which implies that D(Lnk,(γjnk)jZ,h) has at least one point in the interval (q1,q2). On the other hand, since λjn (resp. λj+1n) tends a.s. to λj (resp. λj+1) when n goes to infinity, one has almost surely, for k large enough,

λjnk<q1<q2<λj+1nk.

Hence, D(Lnk,(γjnk)jZ,h) has exactly one point in (q1,q2), and this point is necessarily μjnk. One deduces that almost surely, |μjnk-μj|ϵ for k large enough, which implies, by taking ϵ0, that μjnk converges almost surely to μj when k goes to infinity.

Now, let f be a function from R to R+, C and compactly supported. Since L is locally finite, there exists a.s. an integer j01 such that the support of f is included in (λ-j0,λj0), and then in (λ-j0nk,λj0nk) for k large enough, which implies that f(μjnk)=f(μj)=0 for |j|>j0. Hence, a.s., there exists j0,k01, such that for kk0,

jZf(μjnk)=|j|j0f(μjnk)

and

jZf(μj)=|j|j0f(μj),

which implies that

jZf(μjnk)kjZf(μj), 14

since f(μjnk) tends to f(μj) for each j{-j0,-j0+1,,j0}.

The almost sure convergence (14) holds a fortiori in distribution, which implies that the law of D(Lnk,(γjnk)jZ,h) tends to the law of D(L,(γj)jZ,h). On the other hand, by Theorem 12, D(Lnk,(γjnk)jZ,h) has distribution Qnk,β, and then D(L,(γj)jZ,h) follows the limit of the distribution Qnk,β for k tending to infinity, i.e. Qβ. This shows the first part of Theorem 13, and the second part for k=2; iterating this argument shows the general k case.

Properties of continuity for the Stieltjes Markov chain

In the previous section, we have deduced the convergence of the Markov mechanism associated to Qnk,β towards the one corresponding to Qβ from the convergence of Qnk,β to Qβ itself, and the convergence of the associated weights. Later in the paper, we will prove similar results related to the Gaussian ensembles, for which the situation is more difficult to handle, in particular because of the lack of symmetry of the GβE at the macroscopic scale, when we rescale around a non-zero point of the bulk. Moreover, we will have to consider several steps of the Markov mechanism at the same time. That is why we will need a more general result, giving a property of continuity of the Markov mechanism described above, with respect to its initial data.

The main results of the present paper concern convergence in distribution of point processes. In this section, we will assume properties of strong convergence, which can be done with the help of Skorokhod’s representation theorem.

The notion of convergence of holomorphic functions usually considered is the uniform convergence on compact sets. This notion cannot be directly applied to the meromorphic functions involved here, because of the poles on the real line. That is why we will need an appropriate notion of uniform convergence of meromorphic functions.

More precisely, we say that a sequence (fn)n1 of meromorphic functions on an open set UC converges uniformly to a function f from U to the Riemann sphere C{} if and only if this convergence holds for the distance d on C{}, given by

d(z1,z2)=|z2-z1|(1+|z1|2)(1+|z2|2)

for z1,z2, and extended by continuity at (d corresponds to the distance of the points on the Euclidean sphere, obtained via the inverse stereographic projection). It is a classical result that the limiting function f should be meromorphic on U. One deduces the following: if a sequence (fn)n1 of meromorphic functions on C converges to a function f from C to C{}, uniformly on all bounded subsets of C, then f is meromorphic on C. Moreover, the following lemma will be useful:

Lemma 18

Let (fn)n1 (resp. (gn)n1) be a sequence of meromorphic functions on an open set U, uniformly convergent (for the distance d) to a function f (resp. g), necessarily meromorphic. We assume that f and g have no common pole. Then the sequence (fn+gn)n1 of meromorphic functions tends uniformly to f+g on all the compact sets of U.

Remark 19

The fact that f and g have no common pole is needed in general. Indeed, if U is a neighborhood of 0, fn(z)=f(z)=-z-1, gn(z)=(z+n-1)-1, g(z)=z-1, we check that fn and gn respectively tend to f and g, uniformly on compact sets of U, for the distance d, but fn+gn does not uniformly converge to f+g=0 in any neighborhood of 0.

Proof

Let K be a compact subset of U, let z1,z2,,zp be the poles of f in K, and z1,z2,,zq the poles of g in K. There exists a neighborhood V of {z1,z2,,zp} containing no pole of g, and a neighborhood W of {z1,z2,,zp} containing no pole of f. If A>0 is fixed, one can assume the following (by restricting V and W if it is needed):

  • The infimum of |f| on V is larger than 2A+1 and also larger than the supremum of 2|g|+1 on V.

  • The infimum of |g| on W is larger than 2A+1 and also larger than the supremum of 2|f|+1 on W.

By the assumption of uniform convergence, we deduce, for n large enough:

  • The infimum of |fn| on V is larger than 2A and also larger than the supremum of 2|gn| on V.

  • The infimum of |gn| on W is larger than 2A and also larger than the supremum of 2|fn| on W.

Now, for all zV and n large enough, one has

|fn(z)+gn(z)||fn(z)|-|gn(z)||fn(z)|-|fn(z)|2=|fn(z)|2A.

and also

|f(z)+g(z)|A,

which implies

d(fn(z)+gn(z),f(z)+g(z))2/A.

Similarly, this inequality is true for zW. Moreover, there exists a compact set LK, containing no pole of f or g, and such that K is included in LVW. Since the meromorphic functions f and g have no pole on the compact set L, they are bounded on this set. Since (fn)n1 (resp. (gn)n1) converges to f (resp. g) on L, uniformly for the distance d, and (fn)n1 (resp. (gn)n1) is uniformly bounded, the uniform convergence holds in fact for the usual distance. Hence, (fn+gn)n1 tends uniformly to f+g on L for the usual distance, and a fortiori for d: by using the previous bounded obtained in V and W, one deduces, since L, V and W cover K:

limsupnsupzKd(fn(z)+gn(z),f(z)+g(z))2/A.

Since we can choose A>0 arbitrarily, we are done.

From this lemma, we deduce the following statement

Lemma 20

Let p1, and let (λk)1kp, (λn,k)n1,1kp, (γk)1kp, (γn,k)n1,1kp be some complex numbers such that all the λk’s are distincts, all the γk’s are nonzero, and for all k{1,,p},

λn,knλk

and

γn,knγk.

Then, one has, for n going to infinity, the convergence of the rational function

zk=1pγn,kλn,k-z

towards the function

zk=1pγkλk-z,

uniformly on all the compact sets, for the distance d.

Proof

Let us first prove the result for p=1, which is implied by the following convergence

γn,1λn,1-znγ1λ1-z,

uniformly on C for the distance d. Let us fix ϵ>0. For n large enough, we have |λn,1-λ1|ϵ and |γn,1-γ1||γ1|/2. If these conditions are satisfied and if |λ1-z|2ϵ, then

γ1λ1-z|γ1|2ϵ

and

γn,1λn,1-z|γ1|6ϵ,

since |γn,1||γ1|/2 and

|λn,1-z||λ1-z|+|λn,1-λ1|3ϵ.

Hence, there exists n01, independent of z satisfying |λ1-z|2ϵ, such that for nn0,

dγ1λ1-z,γn,1λn,1-zdγ1λ1-z,+d,γn,1λn,1-z2ϵ|γ1|+6ϵ|γ1|=8ϵ|γ1|.

Similarly, there exists n11 such that for all nn1 and for all z satisfying |λ1-z|2ϵ, one has:

|λn,1-z||λ1-z|-|λn,1-λ1|ϵ.

This implies:

γ1λ1-z-γn,1λn,1-zγ1-γn,1λn,1-z+|γ1|1λ1-z-1λn,1-z|γ1-γn,1|ϵ+|γ1||λ1-λn,1|(2ϵ)(ϵ).

Since this quantity does not depend on z and tends to zero at infinity, we deduce

supzC,|λ1-z|2ϵdγ1λ1-z,γn,1λn,1-zn0.

Since we know that

limsupnsupzC,|λ1-z|2ϵdγ1λ1-z,γn,1λn,1-z8ϵ|γ1|,

we get

limsupnsupzCdγ1λ1-z,γn,1λn,1-z8ϵ|γ1|.

Now, ϵ>0 can be arbitrarily chosen, and then the lemma is proven for p=1. For p2, let us deduce the result of the lemma, assuming that it is satisfied when p is replaced by p-1. We define the meromorphic functions (fn)n1, f, (gn)n1, g by the formulas:

fn(z)=k=1p-1γn,kλn,k-z,f(z)=k=1p-1γkλk-z,gn(z)=γn,pλn,p-z,g(z)=γpλp-z.

Let A>0. By the induction hypothesis, we know that fn converges to f when n goes to infinity, uniformly on the set {zC,|z|<2A} and for the distance d. Similarly, by the case p=1 proven above, gn converges to g, uniformly on the same set (in fact, uniformly on C) and for the same distance. Moreover, the functions f and g have no common pole, since the numbers (λk)1kp are all distinct. We can then apply Lemma 18 and deduce that fn+gn converges to f+g, uniformly on any compact set of {zC,|z|<2A}, for example {zC,|z|A}, and for the distance d. Since A>0 can be arbitrarily chosen, we are done.

We have now the ingredients needed to state the main result of this section. In this theorem, we deal with finite and infinite sequences together. So we will think of kλk as a function from ZR{}, with the convention that summation and other operations are only considered over the values that are different from . We will also assume that the value is taken exactly on the complement of an interval of Z.

The statement of the following result is long and technical, but as we will see in the next section, it will be adapted to the problem we are interested in.

Theorem 21

Let (Ξn)n1 be a sequence of discrete simple point measures on R (i.e. sums of Dirac masses at a locally finite set of points), converging to a simple point measure Ξ, locally weakly:

ΞnΞ. 15

Let Ln denote the support of Ξn, and L the support of Ξ. We suppose that there exists α(0,1), a family (τ)0 of elements of R+, with τ0 as , such that for all n1, 1, we have

R1(|λ|>)|λ|1+αdΞn(λ)τ 16

Moreover, assume that the limits

hn,=limR1(<|λ|<)λdΞn(λ) 17

exist, and so does the similar limit h defined in terms of Ξ. Assume further that for some hR, the following equalities are well-defined and satisfied:

limlimnhn,=h,limh=0, 18

when the limits are restricted to the condition: L and -L.

Further, let (γn,k)kZ be a strictly positive sequence. Suppose it satisfies

γn,kγk>0 19

for each k, as n. Also for some γ¯,c>0 and all n,m1, we assume

k=0m-1γn,k-γ¯mcmαk=-m-1γn,k-γ¯mcmα 20

with 0<(1+α)α<1. Let λ be a point outside L, and consider the weighted version Λ of Ξ where the kth point after λ (for k0, the (1-k)th point before λ) has weight γk. For n large enough, one has also λLn: define Λn similarly. Then the limit

Sn(z)=lim[-,]1λ-zdΛn(λ)

exists for all zLn, is meromorphic with simple poles at Ln, and converges, uniformly on compacts with respect to the distance d on the Riemann sphere C{}, to S(z)+γ¯h, where S is a meromorphic function with simple poles at L, such that for all zL,

S(z)=lim[-,]1λ-zdΛ(λ).

Moreover, for every hR, the sum of delta masses Ξn at Sn-1(h+γ¯h) converges locally weakly to the sum of delta masses Ξ at S-1(h), and (Ξn)n1, and Ξn, Ξ satisfy assumptions equivalent to (15)–(18), i.e.

ΞnΞ, 21
R1(|λ|>)|λ|1+αdΞn(λ)τ 22

for a family (τ)0 of elements of R+, with τ0 as ,

limlimnhn,=h,limh=0, 23

where

hn,=limR1(<|λ|<)λdΞn(λ),h=limR1(<|λ|<)λdΞ(λ) 24

and the limits in and n are restricted to the condition: L and -L, L being the support of Ξ.

Remark 22

After a suitable translation of Ξn and Ξ, one can assume that 0L and then one can take λ=0. The choice of λ does not change the structure of the proof of the theorem: replacing λ by 0 may slightly simplify its reading. In (18), the condition L, -L ensures that the boundary terms in the integral defining hn, does not perturb the existence of the limit of hn, when n. It may be possible to avoid this technicality by considering upper and lower limits in n.

Proof

We have to show the following:

  • The existence of the limits defining Sn and S, and the fact that they are meromorphic, with simple poles at Ln and L, respectively.

  • The convergence of Sn towards S+γ¯h, uniformly in compacts, for the distance d.

  • The assumptions (21)–(24), which should be satisfied by Ξn and Ξ.

We will successively show these three statements: the most difficult one is the convergence of Sn towards S+γ¯h.

Existence and properties of the limits defining Sn and S: Let n1, large enough in order to ensure that λLn, 1<0<, and let z be a complex number with modulus smaller than 0/2. Let kn,0 be the smallest index k (if it exists) such that λn,k>0, where λn,k is (if it exists) the kth point of Ln after λ for k1, and the (1-k)th point of Ln before λ for k0. Similarly, let Kn,-1 be the largest index k (if it exists) such that λn,k. For = and Ln bounded from above, we get that Kn,-1 is the largest index k (if it exists) such that λn,k exists, i.e. the index of the largest point of Ln. For = and Ln not bounded from above, we have Kn,=. If for mZ,

Δn,m:=1m0k=0m-1γn,k-1m<0k=m-1γn,k-γ¯m,

then, in the case where kn,0 and Kn, are well-defined and kn,0<Kn,:

(0,]1λ-zdΛn(λ)=kn,0k<Kn,γn,kλn,k-z=γ¯kn,0k<Kn,1λn,k-z+kn,0k<Kn,Δn,k+1-Δn,kλn,k-z=γ¯kn,0k<Kn,1λn,k-z+Δn,Kn,λn,Kn,-1-z-Δn,kn,0λn,kn,0-z+kn,0+1k<Kn,Δn,k1λn,k-1-z-1λn,k-z,

which implies

(0,]1λ-zdΛn(λ)-γ¯(0,]dΞn(λ)λ=γ¯zkn,0k<Kn,1λn,k(λn,k-z)+Δn,Kn,λn,Kn,-1-z-Δn,kn,0λn,kn,0-z+kn,0+1k<Kn,Δn,kλn,k-λn,k-1(λn,k-1-z)(λn,k-z).

Note that in case where kn,0 or Kn, is not well-defined, and in case where kn,0Kn,, the left-hand side is zero, since Ln has no point in the interval (0,]. Let us now check that for going to infinity, this quantity converges, uniformly in {zC,|z|<0/2}, to the function Tn,0, holomorphic on this open set, and given by

Tn,0(z)=γ¯zkkn,01λn,k(λn,k-z)+Δn,Kn,λn,Kn,-1-z-Δn,kn,0λn,kn,0-z+kkn,0+1Δn,kλn,k-λn,k-1(λn,k-1-z)(λn,k-z), 25

if Ln has at least one point in (0,), and Tn,0(z)=0 otherwise. In the formula above, when Ln is not bounded from above, and then Kn,=, we let, by convention:

Δn,Kn,λn,Kn,-1-z:=0.

In order to prove this convergence, it is sufficient to check, in the case Ln(0,), the uniform convergence

Δn,Kn,λn,Kn,-1-zΔn,Kn,λn,Kn,-1-z,

for |z|0/2, and the fact that

supzC,|z|0/2kkn,01|λn,k||λn,k-z|+kkn,0+1|Δn,k||λn,k-λn,k-1||λn,k-1-z||λn,k-z|<. 26

The first statement is immediate if Ln is bounded from above. If Ln is unbounded from above, let us remark that for kkn,0, |z|0/2, one has |λn,k-z|λn,k/2, and then it is sufficient to show:

Δn,Kn,λn,Kn,-10. 27

Similarly, the statement (26) is implied by:

kkn,01λn,k2+kkn,0+1|Δn,k|(λn,k-λn,k-1)λn,k-1λn,k<. 28

In order to prove (27), let us first use the majorization (16), which implies, for all >2,

Ξn([2,])1+α2dΞn(λ)λ1+α1+αR1(|λ|>1)|λ|1+αdΞn(λ)τ11+α,

and then

Ξn([λ,])τ1+α

where

τ:=τ1+Ξn([λ2,2]). 29

We deduce, for k1 large enough in order to insure that λn,k>2,

k=Ξn([λ,λn,k])τλn,k1+α

and then

λn,k(k/τ)1/(1+α). 30

By using (20), this inequality implies:

Δn,k+1λn,kc(k+1)α(k/τ)-1/(1+α),

which tends to zero when k goes to infinity, since α<1/(1+α) by assumption. Therefore, we have (27).

Moreover, the left-hand side of (28) is given by

R1(|λ|>0)|λ|2dΞn(λ)+kkn,0+1|Δn,k|1λn,k-1-1λn,kR1(|λ|>0)|λ|1+αdΞn(λ)+ckkn,0+1|k|α1λn,k-1-1λn,kτ0+c|kn,0+1|αλn,kn,0+kkn,0+1(|k+1|α-|k|α)λn,k.

If Ln is bounded from above, the finiteness of this quantity is obvious. Otherwise, we know that for k large enough, (|k+1|α-|k|α) is bounded by a constant times kα-1, and λk,n dominates k1/(1+α). Hence, it is sufficient to check the finiteness of the following expression:

k=1kα-1k-1/(1+α),

which is satisfied since by assumption,

α-1-11+α<-1.

We have now proven:

(0,]1λ-zdΛn(λ)-γ¯(0,]dΞn(λ)λTn,0(z), 31

uniformly on the set {zC,|z|<0/2}, where the holomorphic function Tn,0 is given by the formula (25).

Similarly, there exists an holomorphic function Un,0 on {zC,|z|<0/2}, such that uniformly on this set,

[-,-0)1λ-zdΛn(λ)-γ¯[-,-0)dΞn(λ)λUn,0(z). 32

The function Un,0 can be explicitly described by a formula similar to (25) (we omit the detail of this formula). By combining (17), (31) and (32), one deduces the following uniform convergence on {zC,|z|<0/2}:

[-,]\[-0,0]1λ-zdΛn(λ)Tn,0(z)+Un,0(z)+γ¯hn,0.

One deduces, by using Lemma 18, that

[-,]1λ-zdΛn(λ)Tn,0(z)+Un,0(z)+γ¯hn,0+[-0,0]1λ-zdΛn(λ)=:Sn,0(z),

uniformly on any compact subset of {zC,|z|<0/2}, for the distance d on the Riemann sphere. One checks immediately that the poles of Sn,0 with modulus smaller than or equal to 0/2 are exactly the points of Ln satisfying the same condition. Moreover, the convergence just above implies that for 1>0>1, the meromorphic functions Sn,0 and Sn,1 coincide on {zC,|z|<0/2}: hence, there exists a meromorphic function Sn on C, such that for all 0>1, the restriction of Sn to {zC,|z|<0/2} is equal to Sn,0. The poles of Sn are exactly the points of Ln, and one has, uniformly on all compact sets of C and for the distance d,

[-,]1λ-zdΛn(λ)Sn(z).

In particular, the convergence holds pointwise for all zLn.

In an exactly similar way, one can prove that uniformly on compact sets of C, for the distance d,

[-,]1λ-zdΛ(λ)S(z)

where for all 0>1,

S(z):=T0(z)+U0(z)+γ¯h0+[-0,0]1λ-zdΛ(λ),

on the set {zC,|z|<0/2}, T0 and U0 being defined by the same formulas as Tn,0 and Un,0, except than one removes all the indices n. In order to show this convergence, it is sufficient to check that the assumptions (16) and (20) are satisfied if the indices n are removed. For (20), it is an immediate consequence of the convergence (19), since the constant c does not depend on n. For (16), let us first observe that for all >1, and for any continuous function Φ with compact support, such that for all λR,

Φ(λ)1(|λ|>)|λ|1+α,

one has for all n1,

RΦ(λ)dΞn(λ)R1(|λ|>)|λ|1+αdΞn(λ)τ.

Since Ξn converges weakly to Ξ when n goes to infinity, one deduces:

RΦ(λ)dΞ(λ)τ.

By taking Φ increasing to

λ1(|λ|>)/|λ|1+α,

one obtains

R1(|λ|>)|λ|1+αdΞ(λ)τ,

i.e. the equivalent of (16) for the measure Ξ.

Convergence of Sn towards S+γ¯h: Once the existence of the functions Sn and S is ensured, it remains to prove the convergence of Sn towards S+γ¯h, uniformly on compact sets for the distance d. In order to check this convergence, it is sufficient to prove that for all >1, there exists 0> such that uniformly on any compact set of {zC,|z|<0/2},

Tn,0(z)+Un,0(z)+γ¯hn,0+[-0,0]1λ-zdΛn(λ)nT0(z)+U0(z)+γ¯(h0+h)+[-0,0]1λ-zdΛ(λ).

In fact, we will prove this convergence for any 0>2 such that 0 and -0 are not in L, and then not in Ln for n large enough. By Lemma 18, it is sufficient to check for such an 0:

hn,0nh0+h, 33
[-0,0]1λ-zdΛn(λ)n[-0,0]1λ-zdΛ(λ), 34

uniformly on {zC,|z|<0/2} for the distance d,

Tn,0(z)nT0(z), 35

uniformly on {zC,|z|<0/2}, and

Un,0(z)nU0(z), 36

also uniformly on {zC,|z|<0/2}. Since the proof of (36) is exactly similar to the proof of (35), we will omit it and we will then show successively (33)–(35).

Proof of 33

For all 1>0 such that -1 and 1 are not in L, one has

hn,0-hn,1=R1(0<|λ|1)λdΞn(λ)

and

h0-h1=R1(0<|λ|1)λdΞ(λ).

Now, -1,-0,0,1 are not in the support of Ξ, and since Ξ is a discrete measure, there is a neighborhood of {-1,-0,0,1} which does not charge Ξ. One deduces that there exist two functions Φ and Ψ from R to R+, continuous with compact support, such that for all λR,

Φ(λ)1(0<|λ|1)λΨ(λ)

and

RΦ(λ)dΞ(λ)=h0-h1=RΨ(λ)dΞ(λ).

Since Ξn tends weakly to Ξ when n goes to infinity, one deduces that

RΦ(λ)dΞn(λ)nRΦ(λ)dΞ(λ)=h0-h1

and similarly,

RΨ(λ)dΞn(λ)nh0-h1.

By the squeeze theorem, one deduces

hn,0-hn,1=R1(0<|λ|1)λdΞn(λ)nh0-h1.

Hence,

limnhn,0-limnhn,1=h0-h1.

where, by assumption, the two limits in the left-hand side are well-defined. By (18), one deduces, by taking 1,

limnhn,0-h=h0,

which proves (33).

Proof of 34

Let us now check the following properties, available for all kZ:

  • If λk is well-defined, then λn,k is well-defined for all n large enough and tends to λk when n goes to infinity.

  • If λk is not well-defined, then for all A>0, there are finitely many indices n such that λn,k is well-defined and in the interval [-A,A].

By symmetry, we can assume that k1. We know that λ is not in L, and then for ϵ>0 small enough,

L[λ-3ϵ,λ+3ϵ]=, 37

Let us fix ϵ>0 satisfying this property. Since Ξn tends locally weakly to Ξ, we deduce that for n large enough,

Ln[λ-2ϵ,λ+2ϵ]=, 38

which implies that λkλ1>λ+2ϵ. Now, let Φ and Ψ be two continuous functions with compact support, such that:

  • For λλ-ϵ,
    Φ(λ)=Ψ(λ)=0.
  • For λ-ϵλλ+ϵ,
    0Φ(λ)=Ψ(λ)1.
  • For λ+ϵλλk-ϵ,
    Φ(λ)=Ψ(λ)=1
    (recall that λ+ϵ<λk-ϵ).
  • For λk-ϵλλk,
    0Φ(λ)Ψ(λ)=1.
  • For λkλλk+ϵ,
    0=Φ(λ)Ψ(λ)1.
  • For λλk+ϵ,
    Φ(λ)=Ψ(λ)=0.

By using (37), we deduce

RΦ(λ)dΞ(λ)Ξ([λ-ϵ,λk))=Ξ([λ,λk))=k-1

and

RΨ(λ)dΞ(λ)Ξ([λ+ϵ,λk])=Ξ([λ,λk])=k.

Hence, for n large enough,

RΦ(λ)dΞn(λ)k-1/2

and

RΨ(λ)dΞn(λ)k-1/2,

which implies

Ξn([λ,λk-ϵ))=Ξn([λ+ϵ,λk-ϵ))RΦ(λ)dΞn(λ)k-1/2

and

Ξn([λ,λk+ϵ))=Ξn([λ-ϵ,λk+ϵ])RΨ(λ)dΞn(λ)k-1/2.

Therefore, for n large enough the point λn,k is well-defined and between λk-ϵ and λk+ϵ. Since ϵ and be taken arbitrarily small, we have proven the convergence claimed above in the case where λk is well-defined. If λk is not well-defined, let us choose ϵ>0 satisfying (37), and A>|λ|. Let Φ be a continuous function with compact support, such that:

  • For all λR, Φ(λ)[0,1].

  • For all λ[λ,A], Φ(λ)=1.

  • For all λ(λ-ϵ,A+ϵ), Φ(λ)=0.

Since λk is not well-defined,

RΦ(λ)dΞ(λ)Ξ([λ-ϵ,A+ϵ])=Ξ([λ,A+ϵ])Ξ([λ,))k-1,

and then for n large enough,

Ξn([λ,A])RΦ(λ)dΞn(λ)k-1/2,

which implies that λn,k cannot be well-defined and smaller than or equal to A. This proves the second claim. Let us now go back to the proof of (34). If L[-0,0]=, then L[-0-ϵ,0+ϵ]= for some ϵ>0. Hence, there exists a nonnegative, continuous function with compact support Φ such that Φ(λ)=1 for all λ[-0,0], and

RΦ(λ)dΞ(λ)=0,

which implies, for n large enough,

Ξ([-0,0])RΦ(λ)dΞn(λ)1/2,

i.e. Ln[-0,0]=. Hence, for n large enough, the two expressions involved in (34) are identically zero. If L[-0,0], let k1 and k2 be the smallest and the largest indices k such that λk(-0,0). Since λn,k1 and λn,k2 converge respectively to λk1 and λk2 when n goes to infinity, one has λn,k1 and λn,k2 in the interval (-0,0) for n large enough. On the other hand, λk2+1 is either strictly larger than 0 (strictly because by assumption, 0L), or not well-defined. In both cases, there are only finitely many indices n such that λn,k2+10. Similarly, by using the fact that -0L, one checks that there are finitely many indices n such that λn,k1-1-0. Hence, for n large enough, the indices k such that λn,k[-0,0] are exactly the integers between k1 and k2, which implies

[-0,0]1λ-zdΛn(λ)=k=k1k2γn,kλn,k-z,

whereas

[-0,0]1λ-zdΛ(λ)=k=k1k2γkλk-z.

We have shown that for all k between k1 and k2, λn,k tends to λk when n goes to infinity and by assumption, γn,k tends to γk. Moreover, the numbers λk are all distincts, and by assumption, γk0 for all k. Hence, one can apply Lemma 20 to deduce (34).

Proof of 35

If L(0,)=, this statement can be deduced from the following convergences, uniformly on {zC,|z|<0/2}:

1Ln(0,)kkn,01λn,k(λn,k-z)n0, 39
1Ln(0,)Δn,Kn,λn,Kn,-1-zn0, 40
1Ln(0,)Δn,kn,0λn,kn,0-zn0 41

and

1Ln(0,)kkn,0+1Δn,kλn,k-λn,k-1(λn,k-1-z)(λn,k-z)n0. 42

If L(0,), then we have proven previously that λn,k0 is well-defined for n large enough and converges to λk0>0 when n goes to infinity: in particular, λn,k0>0 for n large enough. Moreover, one of the two following cases occurs:

  • If λk0-1 is well-defined, then it is strictly smaller than 0 (strictly because 0 is, by assumption, not in L), and then λn,k0-1 is, for n large enough, well-defined and strictly smaller than 0.

  • If λk0-1 is not well-defined, and if A>0, then for n large enough, λn,k0-1 is not well-defined or has an absolute value strictly greater than A. By taking A=λk0+1, one deduces that for n large enough, λn,k0-1 is not-well defined, strictly smaller than -λk0-1 or strictly larger than λk0+1. This last case is impossible for n large enough, since λn,k0-1 is smaller than λn,k0, which tends to λk0. Hence, there are finitely many indices n such that λn,k0-1 is well-defined and larger than -λk0-1, and a fortiori, larger than or equal to 0.

All this discussion implies easily that for n large enough, kn,0=k0, and then it is sufficient to prove the uniform convergences on {zC,|z|<0/2}:

kk01λn,k(λn,k-z)nkk01λk(λk-z), 43
Δn,k0λn,k0-znΔk0λk0-z 44

and

Δn,Kn,λn,Kn,-1-z+kk0+1Δn,kλn,k-λn,k-1(λn,k-1-z)(λn,k-z)nΔKλK-1-z+kk0+1Δkλk-λk-1(λk-1-z)(λk-z), 45

with obvious notation.

Let us first prove (39). If L(0,)=, then L(0-ϵ,)= for some ϵ>0 (recall that 0L). Hence, for all A>0, and n large enough depending on A, Ln(0,A]=, which implies, for |z|0/2,

1Ln(0,)kkn,01λn,k(λn,k-z)2R1(λ>0)λ2dΞn(λ)=2R1(λ>A)λ2dΞn(λ)2R1(λ>A)λ1+αdΞn(λ)2τA.

By letting n and then A, one deduces (39).

Let us prove (40) and (41). By using the estimates (29) and (30) proven above, one deduces that for

τ~:=τ1+Ξ([λ2,2])+supn1Ξn([λ2,2]),

one has, for any k1,

λk(k/τ~)1/(1+α), 46

if λk>2, and uniformly in n,

λk,n(k/τ~)1/(1+α), 47

if λk,n>2. Now, let us assume that L(0,)= and Ln(0,). If n is large enough, then for any index k such that λn,k>0, one has also λn,k>λ2, since L(0-ϵ,(λ2)+1)= for some ϵ>0, and ΞnΞ. Hence, k1 and (47) is satisfied. By using this inequality and (20), one deduces, for |z|0/2,

1Ln(0,)Δn,Kn,λn,Kn,-1-z+1Ln(0,)Δn,kn,0λn,kn,0-zsupk12c(k+1)α(k/τ~)1/(1+α)λn,kn,0+supk12ckα(k/τ~)1/(1+α)λn,kn,04c(1+2α)(1+τ~)1/(1+α)supk1kαk1/(1+α)λn,kn,0=4c(1+2α)(1+τ~)1/(1+α)supk1(k1/(1+α))α(1+α)k1/(1+α)λn,kn,04c(1+2α)(1+τ~)1/(1+α)supk1(k1/(1+α)λn,kn,0)α(1+α)-14c(1+2α)(1+τ~)1/(1+α)λn,kn,0α(1+α)-1,

where λn,kn,0 is taken equal to for Ln(0,)=. Note that in the previous computation, the last inequality is a consequence of the inequality α(1+α)-1<0. Now, λn,kn,0 tends to infinity with n, since for all A>0, one has Ln(0,A]= for n large enough. Hence, we get (40) and (41).

Moreover, in case where L(0,)=, Ln(0,), n is large enough, and |z|<0/2, the left-hand side of (42) is smaller than or equal to:

4ckkn,0+1|k|αλn,k-λn,k-1λn,k-1λn,k=4ckkn,0+1|k|α1λn,k-1-1λn,k=4c|kn,0+1|αλn,kn,0+kkn,0+1|k+1|α-|k|αλn,k4c|kn,0+1|αλn,kn,0(|kn,0|/τ~)1/(1+α)+k1(k+1)α-kαλn,kn,0(k/τ~)1/(1+α),

when kn,01, which occurs for n large enough. The first term of the last quantity is dominated by

(λn,kn,0(kn,0/τ~)1/(1+α))α(1+α)-1(λn,kn,0)α(1+α)-1,

which tends to zero when n goes to infinity, since λn,kn,0 goes to infinity and α(1+α)-1<0. Similarly,

k1(k+1)α-kαλn,kn,0(k/τ~)1/(1+α)n0,

by dominated convergence. Hence, we get (42).

We can now assume L(0,) and it remains to prove (43)–(45).

For kk0, let us define λn,k and λk as if these numbers are not well-defined: this does not change the quantities involved in (43). Moreover, for all kk0:

  • If λk is well-defined as a finite quantity, then λn,k is also well-defined for n large enough and tends to λk when n goes to infinity.

  • If λk=, then for all A>0, and for n large enough, one has λn,k[-A,A]. Since for n large enough,
    λn,kλn,k0>λk0-1>0-1>0,
    one has λn,k>A: in other words, λn,k tends to infinity with n.

We have just checked that with the convention made here, one has always λn,k converging to λk when n goes to infinity, for all kk0. Hence, (43) is a consequence of the dominated convergence theorem and the majorization:

kk0(λkinfnn0λn,k)-2<,

for some n01. Now, there exists n01 such that for all nn0, one has kn,0=k0, and then for all k1k0, λk>0>2, λn,k>2 and k1, which implies the minorizations (46) and (47). Hence one gets (43), since

k1(k/τ~)-2/(1+α)<.

Since (44) is easy to check, it remains to show (45), which can be rewritten as follows:

kk0+1Δn,k1λn,k-1-z-1λn,k-znkk0+1Δk1λk-1-z-1λk-z,

where for kKn, (resp. kK), one defines λk,n:= (resp. λk:=). Note that with this convention, λn,k tends to λk when n goes to infinity, for all kk0. Note that each term of the left-hand side of this last convergence converges uniformly on {zC,|z|<0/2} towards the corresponding term in the right-hand side. Indeed, for n large enough, for all kk0, for |z|<0/2, and for λk, λn,k finite,

1λn,k-z-1λk-z=|λk-λn,k||λn,k-z||λk-z|4|λk-λn,k|λn,kλk41λn,k-1λkn0,

this convergence, uniform in z, being in fact also true if λn,k or λk is infinite. Hence, one has, for all k>k0+1, the uniform convergence:

k0+1kkΔn,k1λn,k-1-z-1λn,k-znk0+1kkΔk1λk-1-z-1λk-z,

Hence, it is sufficient to check, for n01 such that kn,0=k0 if nn0, that

supnn0,|z|<0/2k>kΔn,k1λn,k-1-z-1λn,k-zk0 48

and

sup|z|<0/2k>kΔk1λk-1-z-1λk-zk0. 49

Now, for k1(k0+1), nn0 and |z|<0/2, one has

k>kΔn,k1λn,k-1-z-1λn,k-zk>k|Δn,k|1λn,k-1-z-1λn,k-z4ck>kkα1λn,k-1-1λn,k=4c(k+1)αλn,k+k>k(k+1)α-kαλn,k4c(k+1)α(k/τ~)1/(1+α)+k>k(k+1)α-kα(k/τ~)1/(1+α)k0,

which proves (48). One shows (49) in an exactly similar way, which finishes the proof of the convergence of Sn towards S+γ¯h, uniformly on compact sets for the distance d.

Proof of the formulas (21)–(24)

By observing the sign of the imaginary parts I(Sn) and I(S), we deduce that the sets Ξn and Ξ are included in R. Moreover, the derivatives Sn and S are strictly positive, respectively on R\Ln and R\L, and all the left (resp. right) limits of Sn and S at their poles are equal to + (resp. -). We deduce that the support of Ξn (resp. Ξ) strictly interlaces with the points in Ln (resp. L).

The Eq. (21) is a direct consequence of the convergence of Sn towards S+γ¯h, as written in the statement of Theorem (21). More precisely, for two points a and b (a<b) not in the support of Ξ and such that Ξ((a,b))=k, there exist real numbers a=q0<q1<q2<<q2k<b=q2k+1 such that -<S(q2j-1)<h<S(q2j)< for j{1,,k}, which implies that these inequalities are also satisfied for Sn-γ¯h instead of S if n is large enough: one has Ξn((a,b))k. On the other hand, since the support of Ξ has exactly one point on each interval [q2j-1,q2j] (1jk) and no point on the intervals [q2j,q2j+1] (0jk), one deduces that S is bounded on the intervals [q2j-1,q2j] and bounded away from h on the intervals [q2j,q2j+1]. These properties remain true for Sn-γ¯h if n is large enough, and one easily deduces that Ξn((a,b))k.

The properties (22)–(24) can be deduced from the property of interlacing. More precisely, for 1,

R1(λ>)λ1+αdΞn(λ)=λLn(,)1λ1+α,

where Ln is the support of Ξn. By the interlacing property, if Ln(,) is not empty and if its smallest element is λ>, then it is possible to define an injection between (Ln(,))\{λ} and Ln(,), such that the image of each point is smaller than this point. One deduces

R1(λ>)λ1+αdΞn(λ)1λ+λLn(,)1λ1+α1+R1(λ>)λ1+αdΞn(λ).

By looking similarly at the integral for λ<-, one deduces

R1(|λ|>)|λ|1+αdΞn(λ)2+R1(|λ|>)|λ|1+αdΞn(λ)2+τ0,

which proves (22) for the measure Ξn.

By a similar argument, for >>1,

R1(λ<)λdΞn(λ)R1(λ<)λdΞn(λ)+1,

and one has the similar inequalities obtained by exchanging Ξn and Ξn, and by changing the sign of λ. Hence,

R1(|λ|<)|λ|dΞn(λ)-R1(|λ|<)|λ|dΞn(λ)4.

This inequality and the existence of the limit hn, for the measure Ξn implies that

lim supR1(<|λ|<)|λ|dΞn(λ)-R1(<|λ|<)|λ|dΞn(λ)=0,

and then the limit hn, given by (24) exists, and we get the existence of h in a similar way. Moreover, for all 1, one gets the majorization:

limR1(<|λ|<)|λ|dΞn(λ)-limR1(<|λ|<)|λ|dΞn(λ)4, 50

and a similar inequality without the index n. Hence, we have

|hn,-hn,|=O(-1),|h-h|=O(-1).

We then deduce (23) from (18) (with the same value of h), provided that we check the existence of the limit of hn, when n, which is involved in (23):

limnlimR1(<|λ|<)|λ|dΞn(λ) 51

for each such that and - are not in the support of Ξ. Let us first assume that and - are also not in the support of Ξ. We have, for all >,

limR1(<|λ|<)|λ|dΞn(λ)=R1(<|λ|)|λ|dΞn(λ)+limR1(<|λ|<)|λ|dΞn(λ), 52

and a similar equality with Ξn replaced by Ξn. Since and - are not in the support of Ξ or Ξ, the convergences of Ξn towards Ξ and of Ξn towards Ξ imply that the lower and upper limits (when n goes to infinity) of the first term of (52) (both with Ξn and with Ξn) differ by O(1/). For the second term, the difference between the lower and upper limits should change only by O(1/) when we replace (52) by the same equation with Ξn, thanks to (50). Hence, this observation is also true for the sum of the two terms. On the other hand, the existence of the limit of hn, when n goes to infinity (for Ξn) implies that in (52) with Ξn replaced by Ξn, the difference between the upper and lower limit is zero. Therefore, the difference is O(1/) without replacement of Ξn by Ξn : letting 0 gives the existence of the limit (51) for -, not in the support of Ξ and Ξ. If - or is in the support of Ξ (but not in the support of Ξ), we observe that for some ϵ>0 and n large enough, there is no point in the supports of Ξn and Ξ in the intervals ±+(-ϵ,ϵ), which implies that the integral involved in (51) does not change if we change by less than ϵ. By suitably moving , we can then also avoid the support of Ξ.

Convergence of Hermite corners towards the bead process

In this section, we consider, for all β>0, the Gaussian β Ensemble, defined as a set of n points (λj)1jn whose joint density, with respect to the Lebesgue measure is proportional to

e-βk=1nλk/4j<k|λj-λk|β.

We will use the following crucial estimate, proven in [15]:

Theorem 23

For -Λ1<Λ2, let N(Λ1,Λ2) be the number of points, between Λ1 and Λ2, of a Gaussian beta ensemble with n points, and let Nsc(Λ1,Λ2) be n times the measure of (Λ1,Λ2) with respect to the semi-circle distribution on the interval [-2n,2n]:

Nsc(Λ1,Λ2):=n2πΛ1/nΛ2/n(4-x2)+dx.

Then,

E[(N(Λ1,Λ2)-Nsc(Λ1,Λ2))2]=O(log(2+(n(Λ2-Λ1)n))).

For β{1,2,4}, the Gaussian β Ensemble can be represented by the eigenvalues of real symmetric (for β=1), complex Hermitian (for β=2), or quaternionic Hermitian (for β=4) Gaussian matrices. The law of the entries of these matrices, corresponding respectively to the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble, the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble and the Gaussian Symplectic Ensemble, are given as follows:

  • The diagonal entries are real-valued, centered, Gaussian with variance 2/β.

  • The entries above the diagonal are real-valued for β=1, complex-valued for β=2, quaternion-valued for β=4, with independent parts, centered, Gaussian with variance 1/β.

  • All the entries involved in the previous items are independent.

By considering the top-left minors An of an infinite random matrix A following the law described just above, and their eigenvalues, we get a family of sets of points, the nth set following the GβE of order n. Conditionally on the matrix An, whose eigenvalues are denoted (λ1,,λn), supposed to be distinct (this holds almost surely), the law of the eigenvalues of An+1 can be deduced by diagonalizing An inside An+1, which gives a matrix of the form

λ100g10λ20g200λngng1¯g2¯gn¯g,

where g1,gn,g are independent, centered Gaussian, g being real-valued with variance 2/β, g1,,gn being real-valued of variance 1 for β=1, complex-valued with independent real and imaginary parts of variance 1/2 for β=2, quaternion-valued with independent parts of variance 1/4 for β=4. Expanding the characteristic polynomial and dividing by the product of λj-z for 1jλn, we see that the eigenvalues of An+1 are the solutions of the equation:

g-z-j=1n|gj|2λj-z=0.

Hence, if for n1, we consider the eigenvalues of the matrices (An+k)k0, we get an inhomogeneous Markov chain defined as follows:

  • The first set corresponds to the GβE with n points.

  • Conditionally on the sets of points indexed by 0,1,,k, the set indexed by k containing the distinct points λ1,,λn+k, the set indexed by k+1 contains the zeros of
    g-z-j=1n+k(2/β)γjλj-z,
    g being centered, Gaussian of variance 2/β, γj being a Gamma variable of parameter β/2, all these variables being independent.

Similar expressions of eigenvalues of successive minors of random matrices in terms of zeros of meromorphic functions can be found in the literature: for more detail, we refer to articles by Gelfand and Naimark [9], Baryshnikov [2], Neretin [14], Okounkov and Reshetikhin [16].

The Markov chain above can be generalized to all β>0: this can be viewed as the “eigenvalues of the GβE minors”. In fact, what we obtain is equivalent (with suitable scaling) to the Hermite β corners introduced by Gorin and Shkolnikov [10]. This fact is due to the following result, proven (up to scaling) in [8, Proposition 4.3.2]:

Proposition 24

The density of transition probability from the set (λ1,,λn) to the set (μ1,,μn+1), subject to the interlacement property

μ1<λ1<μ2<<μn<λn<μn+1,

is proportional to

1p<qn+1(μq-μp)1p<qn(λq-λp)1-β1pn,1qn+1|μq-λp|β/2-1e-β41qn+1μq2-1pnλp2.

As explained in [10], the marginals of the Hermite β corner correspond to the Gaussian β Ensemble, which implies the following:

Proposition 25

For all β>0, the set of n+k points corresponding to the step k of the Markov chain just above has the distribution of the Gaussian β Ensemble of dimension n+k, if the initial distribution is the Gaussian β Ensemble of dimension n. In particular, if we take n=1, we get a coupling of the GβE in all dimensions.

Now, we show that a suitable scaling limit of this Markov chain is the β-bead process introduced in the paper.

We choose E(-2,2) (this corresponds to the bulk of the spectrum), n1, and we center the spectrum around the level En. The expected density of eigenvalues around this level is approximated by nρsc(E), where ρsc is the density of the semi-circular distribution. In order to get an average spacing of 2π, we should then scale the eigenvalues by a factor 2πnρsc(E)=n(4-E2). For k0, we then consider the simple point measure Ξn(k) given by putting Dirac masses at the points (λj(n,k)-En)n(4-E2), where (λj(n,k))1jn+k is the set of n+k points obtained at the step k of the Markov chain above. The sequence of measures Ξn(k) can be recovered as follows:

  • For k=0, Ξn(0) corresponds to the point measure associated with the suitably rescaled GβE point process, with n points.

  • Conditionally on Ξn(k), Ξn(k+1) is obtained by taking the zeros of
    -E4-E2+g(k)n(4-E2)-zn(4-E2)-1λ-zdΛn(k)(λ),
    where g(k) is a centered Gaussian variable of variance 2/β, and Λn(k) is the weighted version of Ξn(k), the weights being i.i.d. with distribution corresponding to 2/β times a Gamma variable of parameter β/2.

We are now able to prove the following result:

Theorem 26

The Markov chain (Ξn(k))k0 converges in law to the Markov chain defined in Theorem 13, for the topology of locally weak convergence of locally finite measures on R×N0 (i.e. convergence of the integrals against continuous functions with compact support), and for the level

h=-E4-E2.

For β=2 and hR fixed, the law of the Markov chain of Theorem 13 corresponds (after dividing the points by 2) to the bead process introduced by Boutillier, with parameter

γ=-h1+h2,

if we take the notation of [6].

Proof

By the result of Valkó and Virág, Ξn(0) converges in distribution to the Sineβ point process.

Hence, the family, indexed by n, of the distributions of (Ξn(0))n1, is tight in the space of probability measures on M(R), M(R) being the space of locally finite measures on the Borel sets of R, endowed with the topology of locally weak convergence. Hence, for ϵ>0, there exists (CK)KN such that with probability at least 1-ϵ, the number of points in [-K,K] of Ξn(0) is at most CK for all KN, independently of n. Since the points of Ξn(k) interlace with those of Ξn(k-1), the condition just above is satisfied with Ξn(k) instead of Ξn(0). Hence, the family, indexed by n, of the laws of (Ξn(k))k0 is tight in the space of probability measures on M(R×N0), M(R×N0) being the space of locally finite measures on R×N0, again endowed with the topology of locally weak convergence. Recall that this property of tightness means that for all ϵ>0, there exists a compact subset Kϵ of M(R×N0) such that the locally finite measure on R×N0 corresponding to Ξn(0) is in Kϵ with probability at least 1-ϵ. For all ϵ>0, the compact set Kϵ exists because we can find (CK,k)KN,kN0 such that with probability at least 1-ϵ, Ξn(k) has at most CK,k points in the interval [-K,K], for all kK and independently of n.

From the tightness and Prokhorov’s theorem, it is enough to prove that the law of the Markov chain of Theorem 13 is the only possible limit for a subsequence of the laws of (Ξn(k))k1. Let us consider such a subsequence which converges in law. We define the following random variable

Yn:=sup0(1+)-3/4(|Ξ~n(0)([0,])|+|Ξ~n(0)([-,0])|)

where

Ξ~n(0)([a,b]):=Ξn(0)([a,b])-NscEn+an(4-E2),En+bn(4-E2),

for

Nsc(Λ1,Λ2):=n2πΛ1/nΛ2/n(4-x2)+dx.

The family (Yn)n0 is tight. Indeed, by Theorem 23,

E[(1+)-3/2(|Ξ~n(0)([0,])|2+|Ξ~n(0)([-,0])|2)]=O(1+)-3/2log2+nn(4-E2),

which shows that

E=0(1+)-3/2(|Ξ~n(0)([0,])|+|Ξ~n(0)([-,0])|)2CE,β,

where CE,β< depends only on E and β (in particular, not on n). This implies that (Yn)n1 is tight.

The point processes Ξn(k), k0, are constructed from Ξn(0), and families γn,k,k of weights, γn,k,k being the weight, involved in the construction of Ξn(k+1), of the (k)th nonnegative point of Ξn(k) if k>0, the (1-k)th negative point of Ξn(k) if k0. Notice that in this discussion, for all infinite families of real-valued random variables, we can consider them as single random variables on RI for a suitable infinite set I: in this case, the σ-algebra taken on RI is the Borel σ-algebra associated to the topology of the pointwise convergence of the coordinates. All the variables γn,k,k are i.i.d., distributed like 2/β times a Gamma variable of parameter β/2, and independent of Ξn(0). We can consider the variables

Zn,k=supm1m-0.51m-k=0m-1γn,k,k+supm1m-0.51m-k=-m-1γn,k,k.

By classical tail estimates of the Gamma variables, or by the law of iterated logarithm, Zn,k< almost surely, and since its law does not depend on n and k, (Zn,k)n1,k0 is a tight family of random variables.

Hence, (Zn:=(Zn,k)k0)n1 is a tight family of random variables on RN0, endowed with the σ-algebra generated by the sets {(zk)k0,z0A0,z1A1,,zpAp} for p0 and AjB(R).

Let us go back to our subsequence of (Ξn(k))k0 which converges in law. If we join (γn,k,k)k0,kZ, Yn and Zn, we still get a tight family of probability measures on a suitable probability space. Hence, we can find a sub-subsequence for which the family of random variables ((Ξn(k))k0,(γn,k,k)k0,kZ,Yn,Zn) converges in law, and a fortiori (Ξn(0),(γn,k,k)k0,kZ,Yn,Zn) converges in law. We can now apply Skorokhod representation theorem (see [4, Theorem 6.7]). Indeed, the random variables take values in the product space M(R×N0)×RI for a suitable countable set I. The space RI is separable since we consider the topology of pointwise convergence. The space of probability measures on the separable metric space R×N0, endowed with the topology of the weak convergence, is separable. We deduce that it is also the case for the space of finite measures on R×N0, after multiplying the probability measures of a dense sequence by all positive rational numbers. Since the finite measures on R×N0 are dense in the space of locally finite measures on R×N0, for the topology of locally weak convergence (because the test functions have compact support), we deduce that M(R×N0) is a separable space. By Skorokhod representation theorem, the family of random variables (Ξn(0),(γn,k,k)k0,kZ,Yn,Zn) has the same law as some family (Ξn(0),(γn,k,k)k0,kZ,Yn,Zn) which converges almost surely along the same sub-subsequence as the one for which the family ((Ξn(k))k0,(γn,k,k)k0,kZ,Yn,Zn) converges in law. Note that Yn is function of Ξn(0) and Zn is function of the weights γn,k,k. Since we know that Ξn(0) converges in law to a Sineβ process, its almost sure limit is a simple point measure.

From the boundedness of Yn along our sub-subsequence, and by Proposition 16, we deduce that the part of Theorem 21 concerning Ξn(0) is satisfied, with

h=limlimnhn,sc,

for

hn,sc=(-,-][,)1λdNscEn+λn(4-E2).

Indeed, the convergence of Ξn(0) to a Sineβ process Ξ(0) gives (15). Moreover,

Ξn(0)([-,])=O(1++Yn(1+)3/4)=O(Yn(1+))

by the boundedness of the semi-circle density and the definition of Yn. We easily deduce (16) for any α(0,1) (with τ decaying like -α). From now, we choose α such that 0<α<49/51.

The integral involved in the definition of hn, can be written as the sum of an integral with respect to the semi-circle distribution and an integral with respect to dΞ~n(0), where Ξ~n(0) is the signed measure involved in the definition of Yn:

Ξ~n(0)([a,b]):=Ξn(0)([a,b])-NscEn+an(4-E2),En+bn(4-E2).

The integral with respect to the semi-circle distribution tends to hn,sc when , which itself tends to h when n and then . The integral with respect to dΞ~n(0) can be transformed via an integration by part, as follows. If we restrict the integral to λ>0, we get

R1(<λ<)λdΞ~n(0)=Ξ~n(0)([0,λ])λ()--Ξ~n(0)([0,λ])λ2dλ.

Since Ξ~n(0)([0,λ]) is dominated by (1+λ)3/4 because of the boundedness of Yn, we can let and we get the limit

Ξ~n(0)([0,λ])λ-Ξ~n(0)([0,λ])λ2dλ.

From (15) and dominated convergence, due to the fact that Yn is bounded along the subsequence we consider, we get that the last expression converges to

Ξ~(0)([0,λ])λ-Ξ~(0)([0,λ])λ2dλ. 53

when

Ξ~(0)[0,λ]=Ξ(0)[0,λ]-limnNscEn,En+λn(4-E2)=Ξ(0)[0,λ]-λ2π.

Notice that there is no problem of discontinuity for the bracket at , because we take limits for outside the support of Ξ(0). Now, it is clear that (53) tends to zero when . Similarly

R1(-<λ<-)λdΞ~n(0)

tends to zero, after taking successive limits , n, . We then deduce (17) and (18) for Ξn(0), by adding the limits of the integral with respect to the semi-circle distribution and the integral with respect to dΞ~n(0). For Ξ(0), the method is the same: we use Proposition 16 in order to estimate the point counting of the Sineβ process, and we replace the semi-circle distribution by 1/2π times the Lebesgue measure, which ensures the vanishing limit in (18).

We can now compute h explicitly. We have:

dNscEn+λn(4-E2)=n2πd-E+λ/(n4-E2)(4-x2)+dx=12π4-E24-E+λ/(n4-E2)2+dλ

If we do a change of variable λ=μn4-E2, we get

hn,sc=(-,-/(n4-E2)][/(n4-E2),)12π4-E2[4-(E+μ)2]+dμμ.

Taking n, we get a quantity independent of , given by

h=12π4-E2R(4-y2)+dyy-E,

the integral in the neighborhood of E being understood as a principal value. From the value of the Stieltjes transform of the semi-circle law, we deduce

h=-E24-E2.

From the boundedness of Zn,0, we deduce that the part of Theorem 21 concerning the weights is also satisfied for α=0.51, since by the assumption 0<α<49/51 made before, we have 0<α(1+α)<1.

Finally, in this theorem, it is almost surely possible to take λ=0, by the absolutely continuity of the densities of the ensembles which are considered.

All the assumptions of the theorem are satisfied. If we denote by Λn(0) the measure constructed from Ξn(0) and the weights γn,0,k (kZ), and Λ(0) the measure constructed from the a.s. limits of these points and weights, we deduce that for an independent standard Gaussian variable g(0), the function

z-E4-E2-1λ-zdΛn(0)(λ),

and then also the function

z-E4-E2+g(0)n(4-E2)-zn(4-E2)-1λ-zdΛn(0)(λ),

converges uniformly on compact sets, for the topology of the Riemann sphere given in Theorem 21, to the function

z-E4-E2-1λ-zdΛ(0)(λ)-h=-E24-E2-1λ-zdΛ(0)(λ).

As in the proof of Theorem 21, we deduce that the point process Ξn(1) given by

-E4-E2+g(0)n(4-E2)-zn(4-E2)-1λ-zdΛn(0)(λ)=0,

locally weakly converges to the point process Ξ(1) given by

lim[-,]1λ-zdΛ(0)(λ)=-E24-E2.

The points of Ξn(1) and satisfy the assumptions of Theorem 21, since they interlace with those of Ξn(0). It is also the same for the weights γn,1,k (kZ), by the boundedness of Zn. We then deduce that for an independent Gaussian variable g(1), the point process Ξn(2) given by

-E4-E2+g(1)n(4-E2)-zn(4-E2)-1λ-zdΛn(1)(λ)=0

locally weakly converges to the process Ξ(2) given by

lim[-,]1λ-zdΛ(1)(λ)=-E24-E2,

where Λn(1) is given by Ξn(0) and the weights γn,1,k and Λ(1) are given by their limits. We can then iterate the construction, which gives a family of point processes Ξn(k) (k0), converging to Ξ(k). From the way we do this construction, we check that (Ξn(k))k0 has the same law as (Ξn(k))k0, and that Ξ(k) has the same law as the generalized bead process introduced in the present paper (with level lines at -E/24-E2). Hence, any subsequence of ((Ξn(k))k0)n1 converging in law has a sub-subsequence tending in law to the generalized bead process. By tightness, we deduce the convergence of the whole sequence ((Ξn(k))k0)n1. This gives the first part of the theorem, after doubling the weights and the value of h. The second part is deduced by using the convergence of the GUE minors towards the bead process introduced by Boutillier, proven in [1]. The factor 2 is due to the fact that the average density of points is 1/π in [6] and 1/2π here. The value of the parameter γ in [6] (a in [1]) corresponds to E/2 (the bulk corresponds to the interval (-1,1) in [1] and to (-2,2) in the present paper). We then have

h=-E4-E2=-γ1-γ2,

and finally

γ=-h1+h2.

Acknowledgements

B.V. was supported by the Canada Research Chair program, the NSERC Discovery Accelerator Grant, the MTA Momentum Random Spectra research group, and the ERC consolidator Grant 648017 (Abert).

Data availability

This manuscript has no associated data.

Footnotes

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Contributor Information

Joseph Najnudel, Email: joseph.najnudel@bristol.ac.uk.

Bálint Virág, Email: balint@math.toronto.edu.

References

  • 1.Adler M, Nordenstam E, Van Moerbeke P. The Dyson Brownian minor process. Ann. Inst. Fourier. 2014;64(3):971–1009. doi: 10.5802/aif.2871. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 2.Baryshnikov Y. GUEs and queues. Probab. Theory Relat. Fields. 2001;119(2):256–274. doi: 10.1007/PL00008760. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 3.Berestycki N, Durrett R. A phase transition in the random transposition random walk. Prob. Theory Relat. Fields. 2006;136:203–233. doi: 10.1007/s00440-005-0479-7. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 4.Billingsley, P.: Convergence of Probability Measures, 2nd edn. Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics: Probability and Statistics. Wiley, New York (1999). A Wiley-Interscience Publication
  • 5.Bormashenko, O.: A Coupling Argument for the Random Transposition Walk (2011). arXiv:1109.3915
  • 6.Boutillier C. The bead model and limit behaviors of dimer models. Ann. Probab. 2009;37:107–142. [Google Scholar]
  • 7.Diaconis P, Shahshahani M. Generating a random permutation with random transpositions. Z. Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie und verwandte Gebiete. 1981;57:159–179. doi: 10.1007/BF00535487. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 8.Forrester PJ. Log-Gases and Random Matrices (LMS-34) Princeton: Princeton University Press; 2010. [Google Scholar]
  • 9.Gel’fand IM, Naimark MA. Unitary representations of the classical groups. Trudy Mat. Inst. Steklov. 1950;36:3–288. [Google Scholar]
  • 10.Gorin V, Shkolnikov M. Multilevel Dyson Brownian motions via Jack polynomials. Probab. Theory Relat. Fields. 2015;163(3):413–463. doi: 10.1007/s00440-014-0596-2. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 11.Johansson K, Nordenstam E. Eigenvalues of GUE minors. Electron. J. Probab. 2006;11(50):1342–1371. [Google Scholar]
  • 12.Killip R, Nenciu I. Matrix models for circular ensembles. Int. Math. Res. Not. 2004;50:2665–2701. doi: 10.1155/S1073792804141597. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 13.Killip R, Stoiciu M. Eigenvalue statistics for CMV matrices: from Poisson to clock via random matrix ensembles. Duke Math. J. 2009;146(3):361–399. doi: 10.1215/00127094-2009-001. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 14.Neretin YA. Rayleigh triangles and nonmatrix interpolation of matrix beta integrals. Mat. Sb. 2003;194(4):49–74. doi: 10.4213/sm727. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 15.Najnudel, J., Virág, B.: Some estimates on the point counting of the Circular and the Gaussian Beta Ensemble. Preprint (2019)
  • 16.Okounkov, A., Reshetikhin, N.: The birth of a random matrix. Mosc. Math. J. 6(3), 553–566, 588 (2006)
  • 17.Sheffield, S.: Random Surfaces. Société mathématique de France (2005)
  • 18.Simon B. OPUC on one foot. Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 2005;42:431–460. doi: 10.1090/S0273-0979-05-01075-X. [DOI] [Google Scholar]
  • 19.Valkó B, Virág B. Continuum limits of random matrices and the Brownian carousel. Invent. Math. 2009;177(3):463–508. doi: 10.1007/s00222-009-0180-z. [DOI] [Google Scholar]

Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Data Availability Statement

This manuscript has no associated data.


Articles from Probability Theory and Related Fields are provided here courtesy of Springer

RESOURCES