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6 votes
1 answer
569 views

Liouville property - a very basic question

Let $\mathbb{F}_2$ be the free group on two generators. By a result of Kaimanovich and Vershik, for each measure $\mu$ on $\mathbb{F}_2$ such that the support of $\mu$ generates $\mathbb{F}_2$, we ...
Kate Juschenko's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
844 views

Random geometries

Let $M$ be a smooth $n$-dimensional manifold, and let $FM = GL(M)$ indicate its tangent frame bundle. Let $G$ be a fixed linear subgroup of $GL(n)$, and consider the space $\mathcal S$ of all $G$-...
Tom LaGatta's user avatar
  • 8,512
6 votes
0 answers
301 views

Generating stationary, ergodic random fields on a homogeneous space

Consider a homogeneous space $M$, which for the sake of concreteness, let's take to be $M = \mathbb R^d$. Fix some space $A$, and consider the space of functions $X = C(M,A)$, along with its Borel $\...
Tom LaGatta's user avatar
  • 8,512
6 votes
0 answers
295 views

Is there an idempotent measure on the free LD system?

This is a follow up question to MO question "Idempotent measures on the free binary system?". Let $(A,*)$ be the free binary operation on one generator which satisfies the left self distributive law: ...
Justin Moore's user avatar
  • 3,547
5 votes
3 answers
314 views

Tracking automorphism groups of graph processes

Start with an edgeless graph on $n$ labeled vertices, and note that the automorphism group is $\Sigma_n$, the symmetric group on $n$ elements. Now imagine that we randomly start throwing in all of the ...
Vidit Nanda's user avatar
  • 15.5k
5 votes
1 answer
412 views

Random pairs of commuting permutations

Let $\Omega_n \subseteq \mathrm{Sym}(n)^4$ be the set of all $4$-tuples $(\sigma_1,\sigma_2,\tau_1,\tau_2)$ of permutations of $\{1,\ldots,n\}$ such that $\sigma_j \tau_k = \tau_k \sigma_j$ for each ...
burtonpeterj's user avatar
  • 1,769
5 votes
1 answer
774 views

Probabilities of a random walk exiting a set

Let $F$ be a finite connected set in a graph (soon to be the Cayley graph of a group) and $\mathrm{Ex}_x^F$ be the function on the vertices in $F^c$ which are neighbour to vertices in $F$ defined as ...
ARG's user avatar
  • 4,432
5 votes
2 answers
389 views

Divergence of Green function of random walks at spectral radius

Let $P=(p(x,y))_{x, y\in N}$ be the transition matrix over countable states $N$. Consider the generating Green function $G(x, y|t)=\sum_{0}^{\infty} p^n(x, y) t^n$, where $p^n(x,y)$ is the $(x,y)$-...
stephen's user avatar
  • 619
5 votes
1 answer
437 views

Stationary, ergodic measures from the structuralist point of view

Stationary, ergodic measures are a class of objects very familiar to probabilists. In a sense, these are the weakest generalization of the classic case of independent, identically distributed random ...
Tom LaGatta's user avatar
  • 8,512
4 votes
2 answers
359 views

Random walk uniformly hitting a compact set

Suppose $G$ is a locally compact compactly generated group. Let $\mu$ be a probability measure that is: Adapted to $G$, i.e. there is no proper subgroup $H$ such that $\mu(H)=1$. Symmetric, i.e. $\...
Snoop Catt's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
400 views

Speed of random walks in groups

I've seen some estimates for the decay in $d$ of the probability a SRW makes a distance $d$ in time $n$, but is there any reference for the "speed" of a random walk in a group? I'm interested mostly ...
ARG's user avatar
  • 4,432
4 votes
1 answer
556 views

Symmetries of the standard probability space

The standard probability space $(I, \mathcal B, \lambda)$ consists of the interval $I = [0,1]$, its Borel $\sigma$-algebra $\mathcal B := \mathcal B(I)$ and Lebesgue measure $\lambda$. In applications,...
4 votes
1 answer
204 views

Estimates for simple random walks in groups of intermediate growth

I'm looking for references for the rate of escape and return probability for a group of intermediate growth. Let $0<\alpha < 1$. If the volume growth is $\succeq \mathrm{exp}(n^\alpha)$, then (...
ARG's user avatar
  • 4,432
4 votes
2 answers
420 views

Generating a group by randomly sampling generators

Let $G$ be a finite abelian group, $n$ a positive integer and let $G^n$ denote the direct product of $n$ copies of $G$. We say an element of $G^n$ is full if it acts as a nonidentity element of $G$ in ...
Steve Flammia's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
223 views

Existence of disintegrations for improper priors on locally-compact groups

In wide generality, the disintegration theorem says that Radon probability measures admit disintegrations. I'm trying to understand the case when we weaken this to infinite measures, specifically ...
Tom LaGatta's user avatar
  • 8,512
4 votes
0 answers
266 views

Metrics on finite groups and generalizations of central limit theorems for balls volumes (à la Diaconis-Graham)

In wonderful lectures by P. Diaconis "Group representations in probability and statistics, Chapter 6. Metrics on Groups, and Their Statistical Use" metrics on permutation groups are considered and ...
Alexander Chervov's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
177 views

Is there any probabilistic characterization for generalized solvable groups?

References: This question is inspired by a conjecture of Alon Amit that is solved by Miklós Abért, Nikolay Nikolov and Dan Segal in the following papers: (1) On the probability of satisfying a word in ...
user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
3k views

variance of the number of fixed points for a permutation group

It is reasonably well-known that the variance of the number of fixed points for $S_n$ equals $1.$ Now, what about other transitive permutation groups on $\{1, \dotsc, n\}?$ Presumably much is known. I ...
Igor Rivin's user avatar
  • 96.4k
3 votes
1 answer
539 views

Probability of generating the symmetric group

The statement is simple: What is the probability that a set of n-1 transpositions generates the symmetric group, $S_n$? The motivation is that I remembered reading that this was an open problem ...
Ryan Thorngren's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
693 views

Size of automorphism group of random regular graph

If I pick a random regular graph on $n$-vertices and degree $d$ from uniform distribution what is the probability that its automorphism group is of size at least $m$? -- I want to know what is the ...
Turbo's user avatar
  • 13.9k
3 votes
1 answer
324 views

A stronger version of supramenability?

A group $G$ is supramenable iff for all $\varnothing\ne A\subseteq G$ there is a finitely-additive left-$G$-invariant measure $\mu_A$ on $G$ with $\mu_A(A)=1$. I'm interested in a seemingly stronger ...
Alexander Pruss's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
263 views

Extending Tarski's Theorem on invariant measures

Tarski's Theorem says that if $G$ acts on $X$ and $E$ is a non-$G$-paradoxical subset of $X$, then there is a finitely additive $G$-invariant measure $\mu:2^X\to[0,\infty]$ with $\mu(E)=1$. I am ...
Alexander Pruss's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
153 views

Metropolis-Hastings sampling as a group action

Suppose that you have a topological space $\Omega \subset \mathbb R^n$ accompanied a measure $\mu$ and you're running an iterative sampling algorithm like Metropolis-Hastings. To sample you choose a ...
Juan Sebastian Lozano's user avatar
2 votes
9 answers
2k views

Examples of amenable groups other than finite groups

I'm reading about amenable groups. What are explicit examples of nonabelian discrete amenable groups other than finite groups? Perhaps a group presentation or matrix representation would be useful.
2 votes
2 answers
381 views

Speed and absence of non-constant bounded harmonic functions

For a (symmetric) random walks on countable groups generated by $\mu$, there is a "brute-force computation" argument of Avez (1974) that shows that if the entropy $h_\mu$ is trivial then there are no ...
ARG's user avatar
  • 4,432
2 votes
1 answer
244 views

Markov property for groups?

My question again refers to the following article: Koji Fujiwara, Zlil Sela, The rates of growth in a hyperbolic group, Invent. math. 233 (2023) pp 1427–1470, doi:10.1007/s00222-023-01200-w, arXiv:...
TheMathematician's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
389 views

Who is the weak* sequential closure of the set of finitely supported measures on the integers?

Let $X$ be a topological space and $Y\subseteq X$, the sequential closure of $Y$ is the set of elements in $X$ that are limit of sequences belonging to $Y$. Let $\mathcal M_{\text{fin}}(\mathbb Z)$ ...
Valerio Capraro's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
261 views

Does the set of automorphisms of a cyclic group exhibit some sense of randomness?

I prefer to proceed with a concrete example if I may. I appreciate that the answer might well be better explained with group theory, geometry and/or notions from probability theory, which I welcome. ...
Kevin Smith's user avatar
  • 2,480
2 votes
1 answer
173 views

Proving that a closed walk of some odd length k exists on a Cayley graph

I'm trying to prove the following: Let $G$ be a group with finite symmetric generating set $S$ and let $\Gamma(G,S)$ be the corresponding Cayley graph. Let $X_1, X_2,\cdots$ be a simple random walk ...
JAN's user avatar
  • 179
2 votes
1 answer
141 views

Spanning subgaph with trivial Poisson boundaries

Assume $\Gamma$ is the Cayley graph of an amenable$^{*}$ group and that the simple random walk has non-trivial Poisson boundary$^{**}$. Is there a spanning connected subgraph $\Gamma'$ of some $k$-...
ARG's user avatar
  • 4,432
2 votes
1 answer
337 views

Genericity of sets without unique mean value

Following Rosenblatt and Yang, I say that a subset $A$ of $\mathbb Z$ has a unique mean value if for all invariant means $\lambda_1,\lambda_2$ on $\mathbb Z$, one has $\lambda_1(A)=\lambda_2(A)$. ...
Valerio Capraro's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
100 views

Distributions of random walks on boundaries of balls in hyperbolic metric spaces

Suppose $G$ is a finitely-generated non-elementary hyperbolic group and consider a symmetric random walk on the Cayley graph $\text{Cay}(G,S)$ with generating set $S$. Denote the set of points $B_{\...
user8275's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
150 views

Can we find background noise for every Følner sequence in a countable amenable group?

Let $G$ be a countable amenable group. We consider sequences $(z_g)_{g\in G}$ of complex numbers with $|z_g|=1$ for all $g\in G$. I will say $(z_g)_{g\in G}$ is background noise for a (left-)Følner ...
Saúl RM's user avatar
  • 10.6k
2 votes
0 answers
138 views

Update on Viskov's paper on random processes, Lagrange inversion, and the Heisenberg–Weyl algebra

"A Random Walk with a Skip-Free Component and the Lagrange Inversion Formula" by Viskov presents connections among Lagrange inversion and measures of random Lévy processes. The freely ...
Tom Copeland's user avatar
  • 10.5k
2 votes
0 answers
110 views

Moment of the hitting measure of a subgroup

Given a [finitely generated] group $G$ and a finite generating set $S$, a measure $\mu$ will have finite $\alpha$-moment if $\sum_{g \in G} \mu(g) |g|_S^\alpha$ is finite (where $|g|_S$ is the word ...
ARG's user avatar
  • 4,432
2 votes
0 answers
89 views

Name for a probability density ''symmetrized'' by a permutation group?

Let $p$ be a probability density function over random variable $X$, and $G$ a compact permutation group over the outcomes of $X$. For each $g\in G$, let $p_g$ indicate the probability density ...
Artemy's user avatar
  • 695
2 votes
0 answers
202 views

Random walk on a finite group, converging modulo a function

Let $G$ be a finite group, and let $Q$ be a probability measure on $G$. Suppose that $Q$, as a function on $G$, is supported on a conjugacy class $C$. We denote by $Q^{*k}$ the $k$-fold convolution of ...
Ofir Gorodetsky's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
88 views

Example of action of an infinitely countable group that has important ergodic/statistical property?

I work in probability and I am looking for an important example of action of an amenable countable group in other areas of math for which the (pointwise) ergodic theorem is actually quite important. ...
letta's user avatar
  • 21
2 votes
0 answers
153 views

Reference request for a result on subsets unlikely to be hit by random walks in a group

Suppose we are performing a random walk in a group. More precisely, we have a finite generating set $S$ of a group $G$ and the probability of walking along generator $s$ is given by $\mu(s)$ for some ...
Justin's user avatar
  • 21
1 vote
2 answers
635 views

Mean value theorems for the Haar integral?

Let $G$ be a compact topological group (feel free to add hypotheses if necessary). Is there any mean value theorem for its (normalized to 1) Haar integral? In general, are there mean value theorems ...
Alex M.'s user avatar
  • 5,407
1 vote
1 answer
519 views

How typical are integer isometries on a hypercube? Littlewood-Offord problem for Bernoulli Gram matrices

Let $m\geq 3$ be fixed and $n\to\infty$. Consider $v=(v_j)_{j\leq m}$ with $v_1,\ldots,v_m\in \{-1,+1\}^n$. Let: $N_I(v)$ be the number of sequences $u_1,\ldots,u_m\in \{-1,+1\}^n$ isometric to $v$ ...
D_809's user avatar
  • 175
1 vote
1 answer
578 views

Fundamental inequality of entropy in random walks

I'm looking for a reference for an inequality related to the "fundamental inequality" about entropy and rate of escape of random walks (on the Cayley graph of a group). Namely, $\textbf{Question}$: ...
ARG's user avatar
  • 4,432
1 vote
1 answer
259 views

Amenability with respect to a function

Let $(G,\cdot)$ be a group and $\phi:G\rightarrow\mathbb R$ bounded. Let me say that the pair $(G,\phi)$ is amenable if there is a finitely additive probability measure $\mu$ on $G$ such that for all $...
Valerio Capraro's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
177 views

Building random homeomorphisms of the torus $\mathbb T^2$

In https://arxiv.org/abs/0912.3423, a family of random homeomorphisms of the circle is constructed. Main Question: Can the construction be generalized to higher space dimensions, e.g. to $\mathbb T^2$?...
user490373's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
185 views

A system of linear equations with way too many unknowns — constructing a bivariate distribution from marginals and "the diagonal"

Suppose we are given information about distributions of random permutations $\sigma, \tau : \Omega \to S_n$ as follows: $$p^1_{k,l} = \mathbb P(\sigma(k) = l), p^2_{k',l'} = \mathbb P(\tau(k) = l), p^{...
Stefan Perko's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
489 views

Can we generalize the concept of "characters" in group theory via methods from statistics and probability theory?

$\DeclareMathOperator\Cov{Cov}$Motivation: If $G$ is a finite group and $\phi=X+iY: G\to \mathbb{T}$ is a character of $G$, then $\Cov(X,Y)=0$ where $X$, $Y$ are considered as two real random ...
Ali Taghavi's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
340 views

Random walk on non-abelian free group

Let $F_2$ be the free non-abelian group with generators $a, b\in F_2$. Has the "random walk" where we start with the identity and then multiply it by $a$ or $b$ or $a^{-1}$ or $b^{-1}$ ...
abab's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
0 answers
311 views

Show that $\mathrm{SL}_2(\mathbb{F}_p)$ is quasi-random

Terry Tao gives this oblique definition of quasirandom group in his notes 3 $G$ is quasi-random (of order $D$) if all non-trivial unitary representations $\rho: G \to U(H)$ have dimension at least $...
john mangual's user avatar
  • 22.8k
0 votes
3 answers
293 views

How can we pave the multiplicative semigroup $(\mathbb N,\cdot)$?

Let $(S,\cdot)$ be a semigroup and $W\subseteq S$ be a subset. Let me call $W$ "tile" if the following property is satisfied: there exist $s_1,...s_k\in S$ such that the sets $s_i\cdot W$ are pairwise ...
Valerio Capraro's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
153 views

Probability distribution of random products of elements of a generating set of a finite non-abelian group

Let $G$ be a finite non-abelian group, and consider a choice of $N$ distinct elements $g_{0},g_{1},\ldots,g_{N-1}\in G$ that generate $G$. Now, let $t$ be an arbitrary positive integer, and let $d_{1},...
MCS's user avatar
  • 1,284