The linking number and the writhe of uniform random walks and polygons in confined spaces

DOI10.1088/1751-8113/43/4/045208MaRDI QIDQ3407871zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Eleni Panagiotou, Kenneth C. Millett, Sofia Lambropoulou

Publication date 24 February 2010

Published in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/0907.3805, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.314.2866

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Random walks, random surfaces, lattice animals, etc. in equilibrium statistical mechanics (82B41) Statistical mechanics of polymers (82D60) Biochemistry, molecular biology (92C40)

Abstract: Random walks and polygons are used to model polymers. In this paper we consider the extension of writhe, self-linking number and linking number to open chains. We then study the average writhe, self-linking and linking number of random walks and polygons over the space of configurations as a function of their length. We show that the mean squared linking number, the mean squared writhe and the mean squared self-linking number of oriented uniform random walks or polygons of length $n$, in a convex confined space, are of the form $O(n^2)$. Moreover, for a fixed simple closed curve in a convex confined space, we prove that the mean absolute value of the linking number between this curve and a uniform random walk or polygon of $n$ edges is of the form $O(sqrtn)$. Our numerical studies confirm those results. They also indicate that the mean absolute linking number between any two oriented uniform random walks or polygons, of $n$ edges each, is of the form O(n). Equilateral random walks and polygons are used to model polymers in $heta$-conditions. We use numerical simulations to investigate how the self-linking and linking number of equilateral random walks scale with their length.

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