Gibbs Measures with Multilinear Forms

Abstract

In this paper, we study a class of multilinear Gibbs measures with Hamiltonian given by a generalized $\mathrm{U}$-statistic and with a general base measure. Expressing the asymptotic free energy as an optimization problem over a space of functions, we obtain sufficient conditions for replica-symmetry, and provide examples to show why these conditions are also necessary. Utilizing this, we obtain weak limits for a large class of statistics of interest, which includes the \enquote{local fields/magnetization}, the Hamiltonian, the global magnetization, etc. An interesting consequence is a universal weak law for contrasts under replica symmetry, namely, $n^{-1}{\sum }_{i=1}^n{c}_i{X}_i\to 0$ weakly, if ${\sum }_{i=1}^n{c}_i=o(n)$. Our results yield a probabilistic interpretation for the optimizers arising out of the limiting free energy. We also prove the existence of a sharp phase transition point in terms of the temperature parameter, thereby generalizing existing results that were only known for quadratic Hamiltonians. As a by-product of our proof technique, we obtain exponential concentration bounds on local and global magnetizations, which are of independent interest.

40 pages, accepted for publication in the Annals of Applied Probability