Probability on groups : random walks and limit theorems

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract
This thesis studies three problems in probability on groups and related structures. A variety of techniques are used, with the common thread connecting the various works being the interplay between the algebraic structure of the group and the probability within the problem being studied. The first problem concerns the mixing time of random walk on finite fields given by applying an almost rational bijection between steps of a random walk. It is shown that the mixing time is much faster than the random walk alone, using Cheeger's inequality and the Weil bounds. The second problem concerns a bi-invariant random walk on the symmetric space of symplectic forms over a finite field. Cutoff is established using spectral theory. An elementary argument is given for the eigenvalue computation, along with a proof through constructing a characteristic map relating the spherical functions to Macdonald symmetric functions. Other applications of this characteristic map are also given. The final problem concerns the distribution of descents in the symmetric group under the Mallows measure. A joint central limit theorem is established for descents of both the permutation and its inverse, as well as stronger results for their sum. The key tool is Stein's method with size-bias coupling

Description

Type of resource text
Form electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource
Extent 1 online resource
Place California
Place [Stanford, California]
Publisher [Stanford University]
Copyright date 2021; ©2021
Publication date 2021; 2021
Issuance monographic
Language English

Creators/Contributors

Author He, Jimmy
Degree supervisor Diaconis, Persi
Thesis advisor Diaconis, Persi
Thesis advisor Bump, Daniel, 1952-
Thesis advisor Chatterjee, Sourav
Degree committee member Bump, Daniel, 1952-
Degree committee member Chatterjee, Sourav
Associated with Stanford University, Department of Mathematics

Subjects

Genre Theses
Genre Text

Bibliographic information

Statement of responsibility Jimmy He
Note Submitted to the Department of Mathematics
Thesis Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2021
Location https://purl.stanford.edu/tc754bf8020

Access conditions

Copyright
© 2021 by Jimmy He
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).

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