On the shift in the law of the maximum of the characteristic polynomial of the C$\beta$E

Ofer Zeitouni (Weizmann Institute, Rehovot)

Apr 14. 2026, 09:00 — 10:00

Consider the maximum $M_N of $\log |det(zI-U_N)$ for $z\in S^1$, where $U_N$ is a C$\beta$E random matrix. Fyodorv,Hiary and Keating conjectured (for $\beta=2$) that with $m_N=\log N-(3/4)\log\log N$, $\sqrt{2\beta}(M_N-\sqrt{2/\beta}m_N)$ converges to an explicit limit law, which coincides with the sum of two independent Gumbel(1) variables. Paquette and I proved that  the limit is equal in law to  the sum of a Gumbel(1) random variable and an independent random variable which follows the law of the logarithm of the  total mass of a critical, a-priori  non -Gaussian, multiplicative chaos.

I will describe work in progress with Lambert, Najnudel and Paquette which identifies that limit as  a Gumbel(1) random variable, completing the proof of the  FHK conjecture.

Further Information
Venue:
ESI Boltzmann Lecture Hall
Associated Event:
Random Matrices and Operators (Workshop)
Organizer(s):
Nathanael Berestycki (U of Vienna)
Paul Bourgade (CIMS, New York)
Giorgio Cipolloni (U Tor Vergata, Rome)