Critical SK autocorrelation processes and dynamics across the temperature transition

What OpenAI claims

For zero-field Gaussian SK heat-bath dynamics with rate-one updates per spin, proves worst-start cutoff on the log n scale for fixed 0 ≤ β < 1, mixing time n^2/3+o(1) at β = 1, and stretched-exponential mixing from a Gibbs-sampled fixed starting configuration for β > 1, in probability over disorder. At criticality, rescaled stationary and quench autocorrelation processes have universal random limits for Gaussian and Rademacher disorder; the quench limit relaxes to the stationary limit. (Lean)

Papers (8)

1. Universality of critical quench autocorrelations in the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model

   5 October 2026 · Preprint, not peer reviewed · PDF

   We prove joint functional convergence of the stationary and quench autocorrelations of zero-field Sherrington–Kirkpatrick heat-bath dynamics at inverse temperature β = 1, with the same random limit for Gaussian and Rademacher couplings. Each site has a rate-one clock, mean spin autocorrelations are multiplied by n1/3, and waiting times and lags are measured in units n2/3. The quench starts from independent fair spins, and convergence is uniform on compact sets of positive waiting times and lags. The quench limit is selected by these initial states and relaxes to the stationary limiting autocorrelation as the waiting time tends to infinity.

2. Functional universality of critical SK autocorrelations

   5 October 2026 · Preprint, not peer reviewed · PDF

   We prove that the stationary spin autocorrelation of the zero-field Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model at inverse temperature β = 1 has a common functional scaling limit for Gaussian and Rademacher couplings. With rate-one heat-bath clocks at every site, time is scaled by n2/3 and the mean spin autocorrelation is multiplied by n1/3. The functions converge in law uniformly on compact positive-time intervals. Their limiting law is not a point mass: it retains sample-to-sample randomness, and its functions decay to zero at large times.

3. A spectral gap throughout the high-temperature Sherrington–Kirkpatrick phase

   24 September 2026 · Preprint, not peer reviewed · PDF

   For every fixed inverse temperature 0 < β < 1, we prove that the unscaled spectral gap of single-site heat-bath dynamics for the zero-field Gaussian Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model is bounded away from zero with probability tending to one over the disorder. Equivalently, the Gibbs law satisfies a dimension-free Poincaré inequality for all functions.

4. Cutoff throughout the high-temperature Sherrington–Kirkpatrick phase

   24 September 2026 · Preprint, not peer reviewed · PDF

   We prove worst-case total-variation cutoff for the zero-field Gaussian Sherrington–Kirkpatrick heat-bath dynamics at every fixed inverse temperature 0 ≤ β < 1. With rate-one refresh at each spin, the cutoff location is log n/(2λ(β)) for a positive deterministic rate λ(β). The location for uniformly chosen single-site update attempts is n times as large. Convergence is in probability over the disorder.

5. Critical slowing down in the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model

   24 September 2026 · Preprint, not peer reviewed · PDF

   At the critical inverse temperature β = 1, we prove slow mixing for zero-field Gaussian Sherrington–Kirkpatrick heat-bath dynamics from typical equilibrium configurations held fixed as initial states. For every deterministic sequence t_n=o(n^2/3) in rate-one-per-site time, the Gibbs mass of initial states whose time-tn total-variation distance from equilibrium exceeds 1/4 tends to one in probability over the disorder. The same statement holds for every deterministic integer sequence k_n=o(n^5/3) of uniform-site update attempts.

6. Stretched-exponential barriers for typical SK initial states

   24 September 2026 · Preprint, not peer reviewed · PDF

   At every fixed inverse temperature β > 1, we prove a stretched-exponential obstruction to mixing for the zero-field Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model from typical equilibrium configurations held fixed as initial states. The Gibbs mass of states whose total-variation distance from equilibrium at time exp(n^1/10000) exceeds 1/4 tends to one in probability over the disorder. This holds for rate-one-per-site heat-bath dynamics and after the same stated number of discrete update attempts.

7. A typical-start upper bound for low-temperature SK Glauber dynamics

   24 September 2026 · Preprint, not peer reviewed · PDF

   For every fixed inverse temperature β > 1, we prove subexponential mixing for rate-one-per-site heat-bath dynamics in the zero-field Gaussian Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model from a typical equilibrium configuration. If one Gibbs-sampled configuration is held fixed as the initial state, its total-variation distance from equilibrium is at most 1/4 by time exp(n^1-1/40000000), with joint probability tending to one over the disorder and the sampled state.

8. Critical mixing in the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model

   25 September 2026 · Preprint, not peer reviewed · PDF

   At the critical inverse temperature β = 1, we determine the worst-start total-variation mixing exponent for single-site heat-bath dynamics in the zero-field Gaussian Sherrington–Kirkpatrick model. The mixing time is n^2/3+o(1) when every site has rate one, or n^5/3+o(1) attempted uniform-site updates, in probability over the disorder.

Status

Preprint. The papers have not been independently reviewed. Treat the result as OpenAI's claim until other mathematicians have checked it. If a video exists, it illustrates the statement; it is not the proof.