The size of random fragmentation trees

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Abstract: We study a random fragmentation process and its associated random tree. The process has earlier been studied by Dean and Majumdar (J. Phys. A: Math. Gen., vol. 35, L501--L507), who found a phase transition: the number of fragmentations is asymptotically normal in some cases but not in others, depending on the position of roots of a certain characteristic equation. This parallels the behaviour of discrete analogues with various random trees that have been studied in computer science. We give rigorous proofs of this phase transition, and add further details. The proof uses the contraction method. We extend some previous results for recursive sequences of random variables to families of random variables with a continuous parameter; we believe that this extension has independent interest.


Split the interval \([0,x]\) at random into \(b\geq2\) smaller subintervals according to a prescribed law, and repeat the same procedure for each subinterval until the length becomes less than unity. How many splitting steps \(N(x)\) are used in such a fragmentation process, often ascribed to Kolmogorov? This paper proves, under very general conditions on the underlying splitting law, that the limiting distribution of \(N(x)\) undergoes a phase change from being normal to non-existent, depending on the real part of the second-largest zeros (arranged in real parts) of a characteristic equation. Using the terminology of \textit{D. Aldous} [Bernoulli 5, No.~1, 3--48 (1999; Zbl 0930.60096)], this is a very successful theorem-proof paper, motivated largely by the scientific modelling mathematics in the paper by \textit{D. S. Dean} and \textit{S. N. Majumdar} [J. Phys. A, Math. Gen. 35, No.~32, L501--L507 (2002; Zbl 1040.82021)]. The interesting results are proved by a combination of a few powerful approaches, relying on tools from renewal theory and contraction method.



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