N-point Correlation Research Articles

Correlations of the Thue–Morse sequence

The pair correlations of the Thue–Morse sequence and system are revisited, with focus on asymptotic results on various means. First, it is shown that all higher-order correlations of the Thue–Morse sequence with general real weights are effectively determined by a single value of the balanced 2-point correlation. As a consequence, we show that all odd-order correlations of the balanced Thue–Morse sequence vanish, and that, for any even n, the n-point correlations of the balanced Thue–Morse sequence have mean value zero, as do their absolute values, raised to an arbitrary positive power. All these results also apply to the entire Thue–Morse system. We finish by showing how the correlations of the Thue–Morse system with general real weights can be derived from the balanced 2-point correlations.

Correlation functions for realistic continuous quantum measurement

We propose a self-contained and accessible derivation of an exact formula for the n-point correlation functions of the signal measured when continuously observing a quantum system. The expression depends on the initial quantum state and on the Stochastic Master Equation (SME) governing the dynamics. This derivation applies to both jump and diffusive evolutions and takes into account common imperfections of realistic measurement devices. We show how these correlations can be efficiently computed numerically for commonly filtered and integrated signals available in practice.

Five-point correlation numbers in minimal Liouville gravity and matrix models

In this article, we will show how to use Zamolodchikov's higher equations of motion in Liouville field theory to explicitly calculate N-point correlation numbers in minimal Liouville gravity for N>4. We find the explicit expression for the 5-point correlation numbers and compare it with calculations in the one-matrix models.

Five-Point Correlation Numbers in Minimal Liouville Gravity

N-point correlation numbers in minimal Liouville gravity have been studied. It has been demonstrated how to use Al. Zamolodchikov’s higher equations of motion in Liouville field theory to explicitly calculate these numbers. An explicit expression has been obtained for the case of N = 5.

Celestial geometry

Celestial holography expresses mathcal{S} -matrix elements as correlators in a CFT living on the night sky. Poincaré invariance imposes additional selection rules on the allowed positions of operators. As a consequence, n-point correlators are only supported on certain patches of the celestial sphere, depending on the labeling of each operator as incoming/outgoing. Here we initiate a study of the celestial geometry, examining the kinematic support of celestial amplitudes for different crossing channels. We give simple geometric rules for determining this support. For n ≥ 5, we can view these channels as tiling together to form a covering of the celestial sphere. Our analysis serves as a stepping off point to better understand the analyticity of celestial correlators and illuminate the connection between the 4D kinematic and 2D CFT notions of crossing symmetry.

A Universal Method for Modeling and Characterizing Non-Circular Packing Systems Based on n-Point Correlation Functions.

A universal method for modeling and characterizing non-circular particles is developed. The n-point correlation functions (n = 1, 2 and 3) are efficiently computed with a GPU parallel computing procedure. An algorithm for dynamic packing of impenetrable non-circular particles is developed based on the fast estimation of overlap information using a one-point correlation function. The packing algorithm is independent of particle shape and proved to be reliable by examples of polygons and super-ellipses. In addition, penetrable packings are generated in an efficient and precise way. Using a two-point correlation function, these non-circular packs are accurately characterized and compared in terms of features such as penetrable and impenetrable, packing fraction and particle shape. In addition, three-point correlation functions are also illustrated and discussed.

Third-Order Effective Properties for Random-Packing Systems Using Statistical Micromechanics Based on a GPU Parallel Algorithm in Fast Computing n-Point Correlation Functions.

Estimating the effective properties of a particulate system is the most direct way to understand its macroscopic performance. In this work, we accurately evaluate the third-order approximations involving the three-point microstructural parameter , which can be calculated from a triple integral involving 1-, 2-, and 3-point correlation functions. A GPU-based parallel algorithm was developed for quickly computing the n-point correlation functions, and the results agree well with analytical solutions. The effective thermal conductivity and diffusion coefficient are calculated by the third-order approximates for the random-packing systems of a super-ellipsoid. By changing the parameters of the super-ellipsoid, the particle-shape effect can be predicted for both the thermal conductivity and diffusion coefficient.

Efficient computation of N-point correlation functions in D dimensions

We present efficient algorithms for computing the N-point correlation functions (NPCFs) of random fields in arbitrary D-dimensional homogeneous and isotropic spaces. Such statistics appear throughout the physical sciences and provide a natural tool to describe stochastic processes. Typically, algorithms for computing the NPCF components have [Formula: see text] complexity (for a dataset containing n particles); their application is thus computationally infeasible unless N is small. By projecting the statistic onto a suitably defined angular basis, we show that the estimators can be written in a separable form, with complexity [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] if evaluated using a Fast Fourier Transform on a grid of size [Formula: see text]. Our decomposition is built upon the D-dimensional hyperspherical harmonics; these form a complete basis on the [Formula: see text] sphere and are intrinsically related to angular momentum operators. Concatenation of [Formula: see text] such harmonics gives states of definite combined angular momentum, forming a natural separable basis for the NPCF. As N and D grow, the number of basis components quickly becomes large, providing a practical limitation to this (and all other) approaches: However, the dimensionality is greatly reduced in the presence of symmetries; for example, isotropic correlation functions require only states of zero combined angular momentum. We provide a Julia package implementing our estimators and show how they can be applied to a variety of scenarios within cosmology and fluid dynamics. The efficiency of such estimators will allow higher-order correlators to become a standard tool in the analysis of random fields.

Multipoint correlators on the supersymmetric Wilson line defect CFT

We study multipoint correlators of protected scalars on the Maldacena-Wilson line in mathcal{N} = 4 SYM. Working at weak coupling in the planar limit, we derive an explicit recursion relation that captures next-to-leading order correlators with an arbitrary number of insertions of the fundamental scalar field. By pinching fundamental scalars together, we can build composite protected operators with higher values of the R-charge. Our result then encompasses arbitrary n-point correlators of protected operators with arbitrary weight. As a demonstration of our method, we give explicit formulae for correlators with up to six points. Using these results we observe that all our correlators are annihilated by a special class of differential operators. We conjecture that these differential operators are non-perturbative constraints and can be considered a multipoint extension of the superconformal Ward identities satisfied by four-point functions.

Cosmological scattering equations at tree-level and one-loop

We recently proposed a formula for tree-level n-point correlators of massive ϕ4 theory in de Sitter momentum space which consists of an integral over n punctures on the Riemann sphere and differential operators in the future boundary dubbed the cosmological scattering equations. This formula was explicitly checked up to six points via a map to Witten diagrams using the global residue theorem. In this work we provide further details of these calculations and present an alternative formulation based on a double cover of the Riemann sphere. This framework can be used to derive simple graphical rules for evaluating the integrals more efficiently. Using these rules, we check the validity of our formula up to eight points and sketch the derivation of n-point correlators. Finally, we propose a similar formula for 1-loop n-point correlators in terms of an integral over (n + 2) punctures on the Riemann sphere, which we verify at four points. The 1-loop formula holds for small masses in de Sitter space and arbitrary masses satisfying the Breitenlohner-Freedman bound after Wick-rotating to Anti-de Sitter space.

Variational methods for contracting projected entangled-pair states

The norms or expectation values of infinite projected entangled-pair states (PEPS) cannot be computed exactly, and approximation algorithms have to be applied. In the last years, many efficient algorithms have been devised -- the corner transfer matrix renormalization group (CTMRG) and variational uniform matrix product state (VUMPS) algorithm are the most common -- but it remains unclear whether they always lead to the same results. In this paper, we identify a subclass of PEPS for which we can reformulate the contraction as a variational problem that is algorithm independent. We use this variational feature to assess and compare the accuracy of CTMRG and VUMPS contractions. Moreover, we devise a new variational contraction scheme, which we can extend to compute general N-point correlation functions.

Quantifying microstructural evolution via time-dependent reduced-dimension metrics based on hierarchical n-point polytope functions.

We devise reduced-dimension metrics for effectively measuring the distance between two points (i.e., microstructures) in the microstructure space and quantifying the pathway associated with microstructural evolution, based on a recently introduced set of hierarchical n-point polytope functions P_{n}. The P_{n} functions provide the probability of finding particular n-point configurations associated with regular n polytopes in the material system, and are a special subset of the standard n-point correlation functions S_{n} that effectively decompose the structural features in the system into regular polyhedral basis with different symmetries. The nth order metric Ω_{n} is defined as the L_{1} norm associated with the P_{n} functions of two distinct microstructures. By choosing a reference initial state (i.e., a microstructure associated with t_{0}=0), the Ω_{n}(t) metrics quantify the evolution of distinct polyhedral symmetries and can in principle capture emerging polyhedral symmetries that are not apparent in the initial state. To demonstrate their utility, we apply the Ω_{n} metrics to a two-dimensional binary system undergoing spinodal decomposition to extract the phase separation dynamics via the temporal scaling behavior of the corresponding Ω_{n}(t), which reveals mechanisms governing the evolution. Moreover, we employ Ω_{n}(t) to analyze pattern evolution during vapor deposition of phase-separating alloy films with different surface contact angles, which exhibit rich evolution dynamics including both unstable and oscillating patterns. The Ω_{n} metrics have potential applications in establishing quantitative processing-structure-property relationships, as well as real-time processing control and optimization of complex heterogeneous material systems.

One-Point Statistics Matter in Extended Cosmologies

The late universe contains a wealth of information about fundamental physics and gravity, wrapped up in non-Gaussian fields. To make use of as much information as possible, it is necessary to go beyond two-point statistics. Rather than going to higher-order N-point correlation functions, we demonstrate that the probability distribution function (PDF) of spheres in the matter field (a one-point function) already contains a significant amount of this non-Gaussian information. The matter PDF dissects different density environments which are lumped together in two-point statistics, making it particularly useful for probing modifications of gravity or expansion history. Our approach in Cataneo et al. 2021 extends the success of Large Deviation Theory for predicting the matter PDF in ΛCDM in these “extended” cosmologies. A Fisher forecast demonstrates the information content in the matter PDF via constraints for a Euclid-like survey volume combining the 3D matter PDF with the 3D matter power spectrum. Adding the matter PDF halves the uncertainties on parameters in an evolving dark energy model, relative to the power spectrum alone. Additionally, the matter PDF contains enough non-linear information to substantially increase the detection significance of departures from General Relativity, with improvements up to six times the power spectrum alone. This analysis demonstrates that the matter PDF is a promising non-Gaussian statistic for extracting cosmological information, particularly for beyond ΛCDM models.

Lattice QCD Equation of State for Nonvanishing Chemical Potential by Resumming Taylor Expansions.

Taylor expansion in powers of baryon chemical potential (μ_{B}) is an oft-used method in lattice QCD to compute QCD thermodynamics for μ_{B}>0. Based only upon the few known lowest order Taylor coefficients, it is difficult to discern the range of μ_{B} where such an expansion around μ_{B}=0 can be trusted. We introduce a resummation scheme for the Taylor expansion of the QCD equation of state in μ_{B} that is based on the n-point correlation functions of the conserved current (D_{n}). The method resums the contributions of the first N correlation function D_{1},…,D_{N} to the Taylor expansion of the QCD partition function to all orders in μ_{B}. We show that the resummed partition function is an approximation to the reweighted partition function at μ_{B}≠0. We apply the proposed approach to high-statistics lattice QCD calculations using 2+1 flavors of Highly Improved Staggered Quarks with physical quark masses on 32^{3}×8 lattices and for temperatures T≈145-176 MeV. We demonstrate that, as opposed to the Taylor expansion, the resummed version not only leads to improved convergence but also reflects the zeros of the resummed partition function and severity of the sign problem, leading to its eventual breakdown. We also provide a generalization of scheme to include resummation of powers of temperature and quark masses in addition to μ_{B}, and show that the alternative expansion scheme of [S. Borsányi et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 232001 (2021).PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.126.232001] is a special case of this generalized resummation.

Beyond Bogoliubov dynamics

We consider a system of N interacting bosons in the mean-field scaling regime and construct corrections to the Bogoliubov dynamics that approximate the true N-body dynamics in norm to arbitrary precision. The N-independent corrections are given in terms of the solutions of the Bogoliubov and Hartree equations and satisfy a generalized form of Wick's theorem. We determine the n-point correlation functions of the excitations around the condensate, as well as the reduced densities of the N-body system, to arbitrary accuracy, given only the knowledge of the two-point functions of a quasi-free state and the solution of the Hartree equation. In this way, the complex problem of computing all n-point correlation functions for an interacting N-body system is essentially reduced to the problem of solving the Hartree equation and the PDEs for the Bogoliubov two-point functions.

Ergodicity and invariant measures for a diffusing passive scalar advected by a random channel shear flow and the connection between the Kraichnan–Majda model and Taylor–Aris Dispersion

We study the long time behavior of an advection–diffusion equation with a random shear flow which depends on a stationary Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) process in parallel-plate channels enforcing the no-flux boundary conditions. We derive a closed form formula for the long time asymptotics of the arbitrary N-point correlator using the ground state eigenvalue perturbation approach proposed in Bronski and McLaughlin (1997). In turn, appealing to the conclusion of the Hausdorff moment problem (Shohat and Tamarkin, 1943), we discover a diffusion equation with a random drift and deterministic enhanced diffusion possessing the exact same probability density function at long times. The strategy we presented is not only restricted to the parallel-plate channel domain. The same methods can derive effective equations for a straight channel with uniform arbitrary cross-section. Such equations enjoy many ergodic properties which immediately translate to ergodicity results for the original problem. In particular, we establish that the first two Aris moments using a single realization of the random field can be used to explicitly construct all ensemble averaged moments. Also, the first two ensemble averaged moments explicitly predict any long time centered Aris moment. Our formulae quantitatively depict the dependence of the deterministic effective diffusion on the interaction between spatial structure of flow and random temporal fluctuation. Further, this approximation provides many identities regarding the stationary OU process dependent time integral. We derive explicit formulae for the decaying passive scalar’s long time limiting probability density function (PDF) for different types of initial conditions (e.g. deterministic and random).

Exact expressions for n-point maximal U(1)Y-violating integrated correlators in SU(N) mathcal{N} = 4 SYM

The exact expressions for integrated maximal U(1)Y violating (MUV) n-point correlators in SU(N) mathcal{N} = 4 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory are determined. The analysis generalises previous results on the integrated correlator of four superconformal primaries and is based on supersymmetric localisation. The integrated correlators are functions of N and τ = θ/(2π) + 4πi/ {g}_{YM}^2 , and are expressed as two-dimensional lattice sums that are modular forms with holomorphic and anti-holomorphic weights (w, −w) where w = n − 4. The correlators satisfy Laplace-difference equations that relate the SU(N+1), SU(N) and SU(N−1) expressions and generalise the equations previously found in the w = 0 case. The correlators can be expressed as infinite sums of Eisenstein modular forms of weight (w, −w). For any fixed value of N the perturbation expansion of this correlator is found to start at order ( {g}_{YM}^2 N)w. The contributions of Yang-Mills instantons of charge k > 0 are of the form qkf(gYM), where q = e2πiτ and f(gYM) = O( {g}_{YM}^{-2w} ) when {g}_{YM}^2 ≪ 1. Anti-instanton contributions have charge k < 0 and are of the form {overline{q}}^{left|kright|}hat{f}left({g}_{YM}right) , where hat{f}left({g}_{YM}right)=Oleft({g}_{YM}^{2w}right) when {g}_{YM}^2 ≪ 1. Properties of the large-N expansion are in agreement with expectations based on the low energy expansion of flat-space type IIB superstring amplitudes. We also comment on the identification of n-point free-field MUV correlators with the integrands of (n − 4)-loop perturbative contributions to the four-point correlator. In particular, we emphasise the important rôle of SL(2, ℤ)-covariance in the construction.

Multipoint correlation functions at phase separation. Exact results from field theory

We consider near-critical two-dimensional statistical systems with boundary conditions inducing phase separation on the strip. By exploiting low-energy properties of two-dimensional field theories, we compute arbitrary n-point correlation of the order parameter field. Finite-size corrections and mixed correlations involving the stress tensor trace are also discussed. As an explicit illustration of the technique, we provide a closed-form expression for a three-point correlation function and illustrate the explicit form of the long-ranged interfacial fluctuations as well as their confinement within the interfacial region.

Encore: an O (Ng2) estimator for galaxy N-point correlation functions

ABSTRACT We present a new algorithm for efficiently computing the N-point correlation functions (NPCFs) of a 3D density field for arbitrary N. This can be applied both to a discrete spectroscopic galaxy survey and a continuous field. By expanding the statistics in a separable basis of isotropic functions built from spherical harmonics, the NPCFs can be estimated by counting pairs of particles in space, leading to an algorithm with complexity $\mathcal {O}(N_\mathrm{g}^2)$ for Ng particles, or $\mathcal {O}(N_\mathrm{FFT}\log N_\mathrm{FFT})$ when using a Fast Fourier Transform with NFFT grid-points. In practice, the rate-limiting step for N &amp;gt; 3 will often be the summation of the histogrammed spherical harmonic coefficients, particularly if the number of radial and angular bins is large. In this case, the algorithm scales linearly with Ng. The approach is implemented in the encore code, which can compute the 3PCF, 4PCF, 5PCF, and 6PCF of a BOSS-like galaxy survey in ${\sim}100$ CPU-hours, including the corrections necessary for non-uniform survey geometries. We discuss the implementation in depth, along with its GPU acceleration, and provide practical demonstration on realistic galaxy catalogues. Our approach can be straightforwardly applied to current and future data sets to unlock the potential of constraining cosmology from the higher point functions.

Mass gap in strongly coupled infinite derivative non-local Higgs: Dyson–Schwinger approach

We investigate the non-perturbative degrees of freedom (d.o.f.) in the class of non-local Higgs theories that have been proposed as an ultraviolet completion 4D quantum field theory generalizing the kinetic energy operators to an infinite series of higher derivatives inspired by string field theory and ghost-free non-local approaches to quantum gravity. At the perturbative level, the d.o.f. of non-local Higgs are the same of the local theory. We prove that, at the non-perturbative level, the physical spectrum of the strongly-coupled Higgs mass is actually corrected from the ‘infinite number of derivatives’ present in the action. The technique we use permits to derive the set of Dyson–Schwinger equations in differential form. This proves essentially useful when exact solutions to the local equations are known. We show that all the formalism of the local theory involving the Dyson–Schwinger approach extends quite naturally to the non-local case. Using these methods, the spectrum of the strongly-coupled non-local theories become accessible in the non-perturbative regimes. We calculate the N-point correlation functions and predict the mass-gap in the spectrum arising purely from the self-interaction and the non-local scale M. The proper weak perturbation limit is correctly recovered from the strong coupling regime in the limit of the coupling of the theory goes to zero. Our results show the mass gap generated in the non-local theories gets damped in the UV and it reaches conformal limit. We discuss the implications of our result in particle physics and cosmology.