Asymptotically exponential hitting times and metastability: a pathwise approach without reversibility

DOI10.1214/EJP.V20-3656MaRDI QIDQ894186zbMATH OpenWikidataFDO

Authors F. Manzo, Francesca Romana Nardi, E. Scoppola, Roberto Fernandez

Publication date 27 November 2015

Published in Electronic Journal of Probability (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1406.2637

zbMATH Keywords

hitting timescontinuous-time Markov chainsmetastabilityasymptotic exponential behavior

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of continuous-time Markov processes on discrete state spaces (60J28) Continuous-time Markov processes on discrete state spaces (60J27) Classical dynamic and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics (general) (82C05)

Abstract: We study the hitting times of Markov processes to target set $G$, starting from a reference configuration $x_0$ or its basin of attraction. The configuration $x_0$ can correspond to the bottom of a (meta)stable well, while the target $G$ could be either a set of saddle (exit) points of the well, or a set of further (meta)stable configurations. Three types of results are reported: (1) A general theory is developed, based on the path-wise approach to metastability, which has three important attributes. First, it is general in that it does not assume reversibility of the process, does not focus only on hitting times to rare events and does not assume a particular starting measure. Second, it relies only on the natural hypothesis that the mean hitting time to $G$ is asymptotically longer than the mean recurrence time to $x_0$ or $G$. Third, despite its mathematical simplicity, the approach yields precise and explicit bounds on the corrections to exponentiality. (2) We compare and relate different metastability conditions proposed in the literature so to eliminate potential sources of confusion. This is specially relevant for evolutions of infinite-volume systems, whose treatment depends on whether and how relevant parameters (temperature, fields) are adjusted. (3) We introduce the notion of early asymptotic exponential behavior to control time scales asymptotically smaller than the mean-time scale. This control is particularly relevant for systems with unbounded state space where nucleations leading to exit from metastability can happen anywhere in the volume. We provide natural sufficient conditions on recurrence times for this early exponentiality to hold and show that it leads to estimations of probability density functions.

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(22)

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