Large deviations for the largest eigenvalue of sub-Gaussian matrices

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Abstract: We establish large deviations estimates for the largest eigenvalue of Wigner matrices with sub-Gaussian entries. Under technical assumptions, we show that the large deviation behavior of the largest eigenvalue is universal for small deviations, in the sense that the speed and the rate function are the same as in the case of the GOE. In contrast, in the regime of very large deviations, we obtain a non-universal rate function and we prove that the associated eigenvector is localized given the large deviation event, thus establishing the existence of a transition between two different large deviation mechanisms.


The article studies large deviations of the largest eigenvalue for random matrices with sub-Gaussian entries. The main object is an \(N\times N\) symmetric random matrix \(X_N\) with independent entries above the diagonal so that \(\sqrt{N}X_{ij}\) has law \(\mu\) for \(i\neq j\) and \(\sqrt{N/2} X_{ii}\) has law \(\mu\) for all \(i\), where \(\mu\) is a centered sub-Gaussian variable with unit variance. The authors study the case where \(\mu\) has heavier than Gaussian tails so that \(A = 2\sup_{x\in \mathbb R} \int_{\mathbb R} e^{xt} \mu(dt)>1\). Under some technical assumptions, they show that there exist some good rate function \(I_\mu:\mathbb R\to [0,\infty]\), \(x_\mu>2\) and a closed set \(O_\mu\supset (-\infty,2]\cup [x_\mu,\infty)\) such that the largest eigenvalue \(\lambda_{X_N}\) of \(X_N\) satisfies \[ \begin{gathered} \lim_{\delta \to 0+} \liminf_{N\to \infty} \frac1N \mathbb {P}\big(|\lambda_{X_N} - x| \le \delta\big)\\ = \lim_{\delta \to 0+} \limsup_{N\to \infty} \frac1N \mathbb {P}\big(|\lambda_{X_N} - x| \le \delta\big) = - I_\mu(x) \end{gathered} \] for all \(x\in O_\mu\). The rate function \(I_\mu\) is infinite on \((-\infty,2)\) and satisfies \(I_\mu(x) \sim x^2/(4A), x\to+\infty\), moreover, \(I_\mu(x)\le I_{\mathrm{GOE}}(x) = \frac12 \int_2^x \sqrt{y^2-4}dx\), the rate function of the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble (GOE). If \(A\in (1,2)\), then for all \(x\in [2,\sqrt{A-1} + 1/\sqrt{A-1}]\subset O_\mu\), \(I_\mu(x) = I_{\mathrm{GOE}}(x)\). As a result, in the regime of very large deviations, there exists, at least for \(A<2\), a transition between two large deviation mechanisms: universality for small \(x\) where the rate function coincides with that of GOE, and non-universality for large \(x\) where the rate function depends on \(A\).




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