On a nonhierarchical version of the generalized random energy model (Q2494570)

A natural nonhierarchical version of Derrida's generalized random energy model (GREM) is introduced. The purpose of the paper is to shed light on the rôle played by ultrametricity in spin glass theory. In difference to Derrida's GREM this nonhierarchical GREM is not ultrametric for finite many particles \(N\). However, in the thermodynamical limit \(N \to \infty\), the free energy is proved to be the same as that of an explicitly constructed GREM. Hence, in this sense ultrametricity appears to be universal. The nonhierarchical model can be ``coarse-grained'' in many ways into a GREM, but the coarse-graining leading to ultrametricity is unique. Only the free energy is studied, but the authors promise to study ultrametricity of the Gibbs distribution in a forthcoming paper.