Benjamini-Schramm convergence and the distribution of chromatic roots for sparse graphs (Q313432)

For a finite graph \(G\), a finite rooted graph \(H\) and a positive integer \(R\), let \(P(G;H;R)\) denote the probability that the \(R\)-ball centered at a uniform random vertex of \(G\) is isomorphic to \(H\). We say that a graph sequence \((G_n)\) of bounded degree is Benjamini-Schramm convergent if for all finite rooted graphs \(H\) and \(R > 0\), the probabilities \(P(G_n;H;R)\) converge. For a simple graph \(G\), let \(\mu_G\) denote the chromatic measure of \(G\) defined to be the uniform distribution on its chromatic roots. Sokal has shown that \(\mu_G\) is supported on the open disc of radius \(Cd\) around 0, denoted by \(D = B(0;Cd)\), where \(d\) is the maximal degree of \(G\) and \(C < 8\) is an absolute constant. The following two main results are proved in this paper. (1) Let \((G_n)\) be a Benjamini-Schramm convergent graph sequence of absolute degree bound \(d\), and \(\tilde{D}\) an open neighborhood of the closed disc \(\overline{D}\). Then for every holomorphic function \(f : \tilde{D} \to \mathbb{C}\), the sequence \(\int_D f(z) d \mu_{G_n}(z)\) converges. (2) Let \((G_n)\) be a Benjamini-Schramm convergent graph sequence of absolute degree bound \(d\) with \(| V(G_n)| \to \infty\). Then \(t_{G_n}(z)\), the free energy at \(z\), converges to a real analytic function on \(C \setminus \overline{D}\). This generalizes a recent result of \textit{C. Borgs} et al. [Random Struct. Algorithms 42, No. 1, 1--28 (2013; Zbl 1257.05172)] and answers a question of \textit{C. Borgs} [Comb. Probab. Comput. 15, No. 1--2, 63--74 (2006; Zbl 1082.05034)]. The authors' methods lead to explicit estimates on the number of proper colorings of graphs with large girth. The authors also raise the following question. Let \(G_n\) be a sequence of \(d\)-regular graphs with girth tending to infinity. Does \(G_n\) weakly converge?