Saddle-point Equations Research Articles

Existence results for a class of two-fold saddle point parabolic differential equations

We propose and analyze an abstract framework to study the well-posedness for a family of linear degenerate parabolic augmentedmixed equations.We combine the theory for linear degenerate parabolic problems with results about stationary two-fold saddle point equations to deduce sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of a solution for the problem. Finally, we show some applications of the developed theory through examples that come from fluid dynamic and electromagnetic problems.

Exact QFT duals of AdS black holes

We construct large N saddle points of the matrix model for the N\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$ \\mathcal{N} $$\\end{document} = 4 Yang- Mills index dual to the BPS black holes in AdS5 × S5, in two different setups. When the two complex chemical potentials for the angular momenta are collinear, we find linear eigenvalue distributions which solve the large N saddle point equation. When the chemical potentials are not collinear, we find novel solutions given by areal eigenvalue distributions after slightly reformulating the saddle point problem. We also construct a class of multi-cut saddle points, showing that they sometimes admit nontrivial filling fractions. As a byproduct, we find that the Bethe ansatz equation emerges from our saddle point equation.

Notes on Worldsheet-Like Variables for Cluster Configuration Spaces

We continue the exploration of various appearances of cluster algebras in scattering amplitudes and related topics in physics. The cluster configuration spaces generalize the familiar moduli space ${\mathcal M}_{0,n}$ to finite-type cluster algebras. We study worldsheet-like variables, which for classical types have also appeared in the study of the symbol alphabet of Feynman integrals. We provide a systematic derivation of these variables from $Y$-systems, which allows us to express the dihedral coordinates in terms of them and to write the corresponding cluster string integrals in compact forms. We mainly focus on the $D_n$ type and show how to reach the boundaries of the configuration space, and write the saddle-point equations in terms of these variables. Moreover, these variables make it easier to study various topological properties of the space using a finite-field method. We propose conjectures about quasi-polynomial point count, dimensions of cohomology, and the number of saddle points for the $D_n$ space up to $n=10$, which greatly extend earlier results.

On the potential function of the colored Jones polynomial with arbitrary colors

We consider the potential function of the colored Jones polynomial for a link with arbitrary colors and obtain the cone-manifold structure for the link complement. In addition, we establish a relationship between a saddle point equation and hyperbolicity of the link complement. This provides evidence for the Chen-Yang conjecture on the link complement.

Keldysh wormholes and anomalous relaxation in the dissipative Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev model

We study the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of a Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model, $N$ fermions with a $q$-body interaction of infinite range, coupled to a Markovian environment. Close to the infinite-temperature steady state, the real-time Lindbladian dynamics of this system is identical to the near-zero-temperature dynamics in Euclidean time of a two-site non-Hermitian SYK with intersite coupling whose gravity dual has been recently related to wormhole configurations. We show that the saddle-point equations in the real-time formulation are identical to those in Euclidean time. Indeed, an explicit calculation of Green's functions at low temperature, numerical for $q = 4$ and analytical for $q = 2$ and large $q$, illustrates this equivalence. Only for very strong coupling does the decay rate approach the linear dependence on the coupling characteristic of a dissipation-driven approach to the steady state. For $q > 2$, we identify a potential gravity dual of the real-time dissipative SYK model: a double-trumpet configuration in a near-de Sitter space in two dimensions with matter. This configuration, which we term a Keldysh wormhole, is responsible for a finite decay rate even in the absence of coupling to the environment.

An Uncertainty Analysis and Reliability-Based Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Method Using Fourth-Moment Saddlepoint Approximation

In uncertainty analysis and reliability-based multidisciplinary design and optimization (RBMDO) of engineering structures, the saddlepoint approximation (SA) method can be utilized to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of reliability evaluation. However, the random variables involved in SA should be easy to handle. Additionally, the corresponding saddlepoint equation should not be complicated. Both of them limit the application of SA for engineering problems. The moment method can construct an approximate cumulative distribution function of the performance function based on the first few statistical moments. However, the traditional moment matching method is not very accurate generally. In order to take advantage of the SA method and the moment matching method to enhance the efficiency of design and optimization, a fourth-moment saddlepoint approximation (FMSA) method is introduced into RBMDO. In FMSA, the approximate cumulative generating functions are constructed based on the first four moments of the limit state function. The probability density function and cumulative distribution function are estimated based on this approximate cumulative generating function. Furthermore, the FMSA method is introduced and combined into RBMDO within the framework of sequence optimization and reliability assessment, which is based on the performance measure approach strategy. Two engineering examples are introduced to verify the effectiveness of proposed method.

Consensus-based Optimization in Multiplex Networks⋆

Multilayer networks are systems formed by several interacting networks. This framework generalizes the single-layer network scheme, developing a scenario where most real and engineering systems can be explored in a deeper and more accurately manner. Despite the wide set of results in distributed optimization in single-layer networks, there is a lack of developments in multilayer systems. In this paper, using the role of the supra-Laplacian matrix of a multiplex network and its diffusion dynamics, we develop a distributed primal-dual saddle-point algorithm, and a gradient descent algorithm for distributed optimization problems. Taking advantage of the relation between the consensus and diffusion dynamics via the graph Laplacian, we establish a set of saddle-point equations driven by the multiplex supra-Laplacian matrix, obtained by imposing an analogous to the traditional Laplacian restriction in our multiplex distributed optimization problem. This extension is performed to the distributed gradient descent algorithm for multiplex networks. Two theorems are proposed to study the convergence analysis for both methods, where it is demonstrated that both flows converge to the unique optimizer. We present numerical examples showing the validation of our results.

Quantum interference of hydrodynamic modes in a dirty marginal Fermi liquid

We study the electrical transport of a two-dimensional non-Fermi liquid with disorder, and we determine the first quantum correction to the semiclassical dc conductivity due to quantum interference. We consider a system with $N$ flavors of fermions coupled to SU($N$) critical matrix bosons. Motivated by the SYK model, we employ the bilocal field formalism and derive a set of finite-temperature saddle-point equations governing the fermionic and bosonic self-energies in the large-$N$ limit. Interestingly, disorder smearing induces a marginal Fermi liquid (MFL) self-energy for the fermions. We next consider fluctuations around the saddle points and derive a MFL-Finkel'stein nonlinear sigma model. We find that the Altshuler-Aronov quantum conductance correction gives linear-$T$ resistivity that can dominate over the Drude result at low temperature. The strong temperature dependence of the quantum correction arises due to rapid relaxation of the mediating quantum-critical bosons. We verify that our calculations explicitly satisfy the Ward identity at the semiclassical and quantum levels. Our results establish that quantum interference persists in two-particle hydrodynamic modes, even when quasiparticles are subject to strong (Planckian) dissipation.

A Novel Optimal Strategy for Communication System in the Maritime Industry Based on Game Theory

In this paper, we employ convex optimization and the saddle point equation to find the two-player optimal payoff in iterated rock-paper-scissors game. We also describe the equivalent of payoff written in a two-person non-zero-sum matrix in the hypothetical game system, which provides a possible way to make quantitative analyses. In addition, we use the interior-point methods to simulate rock-paper-scissors game and our numerical results verify that our hypothesis of the payoff equation, max Y min X Y T A X = min X max Y Y T A X , can still work very well even if A changes with the payoff g , but it is never affected by other factors.

Critical metallic phase in the overdoped random t-J model

We investigate a model of electrons with random and all-to-all hopping and spin exchange interactions, with a constraint of no double occupancy. The model is studied in a Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev-like large-M limit with SU(M) spin symmetry. The saddle-point equations of this model are similar to approximate dynamic mean-field equations of realistic, nonrandom, t-J models. We use numerical studies on both real and imaginary frequency axes, along with asymptotic analyses, to establish the existence of a critical non-Fermi-liquid metallic ground state at large doping, with the spin correlation exponent varying with doping. This critical solution possesses a time-reparameterization symmetry, akin to Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) models, which contributes a linear-in-temperature resistivity over the full range of doping where the solution is present. It is therefore an attractive mean-field description of the overdoped region of cuprates, where experiments have observed a linear-T resistivity in a broad region. The critical metal also displays a strong particle-hole asymmetry, which is relevant to Seebeck coefficient measurements. We show that the critical metal has an instability to a low-doping spin-glass phase and compute a critical doping value. We also describe the properties of this metallic spin-glass phase.

Exploring symmetries in photoelectron holography with two-color linearly polarized fields

We investigate photoelectron holography in bichromatic linearly polarized fields of commensurate frequencies rω and sω, with emphasis on the existing symmetries and for which values of the relative phase between the two driving waves they are kept or broken. Using group-theoretical methods, we show that, additionally to the well-known half-cycle symmetry, which is broken for r + s odd, there are reflection symmetries around the field zero crossings and maxima, which may or may not be kept, depending on how both waves are dephased. The three symmetries are always present for monochromatic fields, while for bichromatic fields this is not guaranteed, even if r + s is even and the half-cycle symmetry is retained. Breaking the half-cycle symmetry automatically breaks one of the other two, while, if the half-cycle symmetry is retained, the other two symmetries are either both kept or broken. We analyze how these features affect the ionization times and saddle-point equations for different bichromatic fields. We also provide general expressions for the relative phases ϕ which retain specific symmetries. As an application, we compute photoelectron momentum distributions for ω − 2ω fields with the Coulomb quantum orbit strong-field approximation and assess how holographic structures such as the fan, the spider and interference carpets behave, focusing on the reflection symmetries. The features encountered can be traced back to the field gradient and amplitude affecting ionization probabilities and quantum interference in different momentum regions.

Field theory of structured liquid dielectrics

We develop a field-theoretic approach for the treatment of both the nonlocal and the nonlinear response of structured liquid dielectrics. Our systems of interest are composed of dipolar solvent molecules and simple salt cations and anions. We describe them by two independent order parameters, the polarization field for the solvent and the charge-density field for the ions, including and treating the nonelectrostatic part of the interactions explicitly and consistently. We show how to derive functionals for the polarization and the electrostatic field of increasingly finer scales and solve the resulting mean-field saddle-point equations in the linear regime. We derive criteria for the character of their solutions that depend on the structural lengths and the polarity of the solvent. Our approach provides a systematic way to derive generalized polarization theories.

Quantized noncommutative geometry from multitrace matrix models

In this paper, the geometry of quantum gravity is quantized in the sense of being noncommutative (first quantization) but it is also quantized in the sense of being emergent (second quantization). A new mechanism for quantum geometry is proposed in which noncommutative geometry can emerge from “one-matrix multitrace scalar matrix models” by probing the statistical physics of commutative phases of matter. This is in contrast to the usual mechanism in which noncommutative geometry emerges from “many-matrix singletrace Yang–Mills matrix models” by probing the statistical physics of noncommutative phases of gauge theory. In this novel scenario, quantized geometry emerges in the form of a transition between the two phase diagrams of the real quartic matrix model and the noncommutative scalar phi-four field theory. More precisely, emergence of the geometry is identified here with the emergence of the uniform-ordered phase and the corresponding commutative (Ising) and noncommutative (stripe) coexistence lines. The critical exponents and Wigner’s semicircle law are used to determine the dimension and the metric, respectively. Arguments from the saddle point equation, from Monte Carlo simulation and from the matrix renormalization group equation are provided in support of this scenario.

Classical conformal blocks, Coulomb gas integrals and Richardson-Gaudin models

Virasoro conformal blocks are universal ingredients of correlation functions of two-dimensional conformal field theories (2d CFTs) with Virasoro symmetry. It is acknowledged that in the (classical) limit of large central charge of the Virasoro algebra and large external, and intermediate conformal weights with fixed ratios of these parameters Virasoro blocks exponentiate to functions known as Zamolodchikovs’ classical blocks. The latter are special functions which have awesome mathematical and physical applications. Uniformization, monodromy problems, black holes physics, quantum gravity, entanglement, quantum chaos, holography, mathcal{N} = 2 gauge theory and quantum integrable systems (QIS) are just some of contexts, where classical Virasoro blocks are in use. In this paper, exploiting known connections between power series and integral representations of (quantum) Virasoro blocks, we propose new finite closed formulae for certain multi-point classical Virasoro blocks on the sphere. Indeed, combining classical limit of Virasoro blocks expansions with a saddle point asymptotics of Dotsenko-Fateev (DF) integrals one can relate classical Virasoro blocks with a critical value of the “Dotsenko-Fateev matrix model action”. The latter is the “DF action” evaluated on a solution of saddle point equations which take the form of Bethe equations for certain QIS (Gaudin spin models). A link with integrable models is our main motivation for this research line. For instance, analogous quantities as the “DF on-shell action” appear in 2d CFT realization of the so-called Richardson’s solution of the reduced BCS model describing physics of ultra-small superconducting grains. Precisely, the Richardson solution and its particular limit characterizing the rational Gaudin model have known implementation in 2d CFT in terms of a free field representation of certain (perturbed and unperturbed) WZW blocks. The WZW analogue of the “DF on-shell action” appears here and plays a crucial role, it is a generating function for eigenvalues of quantum integrals of motion. An exploration of relationships between power expansions and Coulomb gas representations of the aforementioned WZW blocks could pave a way for new analytical tools useful in the study of models of the Richardson-Gaudin type.

Negative-travel-time quantum orbits in strong-field ionization by an elliptically polarized laser field

A long-standing problem in quantum-orbit theory has been exactly which solutions of the saddle-point equations to include in the decomposition of the ionization or harmonic-generation amplitude. Up to now, solutions corresponding to a negative travel time have always been discarded. For the case of an elliptically polarized driving laser field, we show that certain solutions with a negative travel time are relevant and have to be included, in addition to the customary orbits with positive travel times, in order to achieve good agreement with the result of a numerical evaluation. In fact, these solutions are responsible for a pronounced qualitative effect in the high-order above-threshold ionization amplitude: a feature with the shape of a coffee bean split along the direction of the major polarization axis, which dominates the velocity map especially for long wavelength. We also discuss the electron trajectories in complex space and time that correspond to these orbits.

Theoretical study of the dynamics of the excitonic insulator order parameter of the Falicov–Kimball model excited by ultrashort laser pulse

The non-equilibrium dynamics of the excitonic insulator order parameter in the excitonic insulator phase of the Falicov–Kimball model excited by ultrashort laser pulse is studied. The Keldysh–Schwinger functional integral method with the saddle point approximation is employed. The numerical solution for the order parameter obtained from the saddle point equation is found to exhibit oscillatory behaviors, whose frequencies are consistent with the energy gap of the excitonic insulator. The fluctuations of the order parameter around the saddle point are identified with the collective modes in non-equilibrium states, and their Green’s functions are explicitly found in terms of the saddle point solution. Also, the interaction vertices responsible for the decay of the non-equilibrium order parameter is found, and the lowest order contribution for the decay process is expressed in terms of the vertices and the Green’s functions of the non-equilibrium collective modes. In the presence of a particular electron–phonon interaction, a hybrid mode of the excitonic order parameter and the phonon can be naturally defined in functional integral and its saddle point equation can be derived. It is shown that the saddle point solution with electron–phonon interaction is consistent with the experimental data and the existing theoretical result.

On the large charge sector in the critical O(N) model at large N

We study operators in the rank-j totally symmetric representation of O(N) in the critical O(N) model in arbitrary dimension d, in the limit of large N and large charge j with j/N ≡ hat{j} fixed. The scaling dimensions of the operators in this limit may be obtained by a semiclassical saddle point calculation. Using the standard Hubbard-Stratonovich description of the critical O(N) model at large N, we solve the relevant saddle point equation and determine the scaling dimensions as a function of d and hat{j} , finding agreement with all existing results in various limits. In 4 < d < 6, we observe that the scaling dimension of the large charge operators becomes complex above a critical value of the ratio j/N, signaling an instability of the theory in that range of d. Finally, we also derive results for the correlation functions involving two “heavy” and one or two “light” operators. In particular, we determine the form of the “heavy-heavy-light” OPE coefficients as a function of the charges and d.

Magnetoelectric effects in superconductors due to spin-orbit scattering: Nonlinear σ -model description

We suggest a generalization of nonlinear $\sigma$-model for diffusive superconducting systems to account for magnetoelectric effects due to spin-orbit scattering. In the leading orders of spin-orbit strength and gradient expansion it includes two additional terms responsible for the spin-Hall effect and the spin-current swapping. First, assuming a delta-correlated disorder we derive the new terms from the Keldysh path integral representation of the generating functional. Then we argue phenomenologically that they exhaust all invariants allowed in the effective action to the leading order in the spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Finally, the results are confirmed by a direct derivation of the saddle-point (Usadel) equation from the quantum kinetic equations in the presence of randomly distributed impurities with SOC. At this point we correct a recent derivation of the Usadel equation that includes magneto-electric effects and does not resort to the Born approximation.

Magnetization profiles at the upper critical dimension as solutions of the integer Yamabe problem.

We study the connection between the magnetization profiles of models described by a scalar field with marginal interaction term in a bounded domain and the solutions of the so-called Yamabe problem in the same domain, which amounts to finding a metric having constant curvature. Taking the slab as a reference domain, we first study the magnetization profiles at the upper critical dimensions d=3, 4, 6 for different (scale-invariant) boundary conditions. By studying the saddle-point equations for the magnetization, we find general formulas in terms of Weierstrass elliptic functions, extending exact results known in literature and finding ones for the case of percolation. The zeros and poles of the Weierstrass elliptic solutions can be put in direct connection with the boundary conditions. We then show that, for any dimension d, the magnetization profiles are solution of the corresponding integer Yamabe equation at the same d and with the same boundary conditions. The magnetization profiles in the specific case of the four-dimensional Ising model with fixed boundary conditions are compared with Monte Carlo simulations, finding good agreement. These results explicitly confirm at the upper critical dimension recent results presented in Gori and Trombettoni [J. Stat. Mech: Theory Exp. (2020) 0632101742-546810.1088/1742-5468/ab7f32].

Fishnet four-point integrals: integrable representations and thermodynamic limits

We consider four-point integrals arising in the planar limit of the conformal “fishnet” theory in four dimensions. They define a two-parameter family of higher-loop Feynman integrals, which extend the series of ladder integrals and were argued, based on integrability and analyticity, to admit matrix-model-like integral and determinantal representations. In this paper, we prove the equivalence of all these representations using exact summation and integration techniques. We then analyze the large-order behaviour, corresponding to the thermodynamic limit of a large fishnet graph. The saddle-point equations are found to match known two-cut singular equations arising in matrix models, enabling us to obtain a concise parametric expression for the free-energy density in terms of complete elliptic integrals. Interestingly, the latter depends non-trivially on the fishnet aspect ratio and differs from a scaling formula due to Zamolodchikov for large periodic fishnets, suggesting a strong sensitivity to the boundary conditions. We also find an intriguing connection between the saddle-point equation and the equation describing the Frolov-Tseytlin spinning string in AdS3 × S1, in a generalized scaling combining the thermodynamic and short-distance limits.