Random Walks and Uniform Spanning Trees (L16)

Tom Hutchcroft

A central part of modern probability theory aims to understand how the geometry of a space
(in this course, a graph) influences the behaviour of random processes in that space, and vice
versa. In this course, we will explore these connections by studying two closely related processes:
random walks and the uniform spanning tree. This course could serve as an introduction to
several topics at the forefront of current research in discrete probability, and may also be relevant
to those with an interest in geometric group theory.

• Electrical networks. Recurrence and transience of random walk and their geometric na-
ture. The Nash-Williams Criterion. Relation between isoperimetry and return probability
decay. Amenability and nonamenability.

• Harmonic functions and their probabilistic interpretations. Relation between bounded

harmonic functions, entropy, and the rate of escape of random walk. The Varopoulos-
Carne inequality. Free and wired currents in infinite volume.

• Uniform spanning trees. Connections with random walks and electrical networks. Wilson’s
algorithm and the Aldous-Broder algorithm. The free and wired uniform spanning forests
as infinite-volume limits of the uniform spanning tree. Pemantle’s Theorem on the number
of trees in the forest.

I may also cover some more advanced topics if time admits.

Pre-requisites

We will use the notions of conditional expectation, martingales, and the martingale convergence
theorem as lectured in Advanced Probability. Familiarity with Markov chains as in the 1B course
will be helpful but not essential.

Literature

[1] R. Lyons and Y. Peres. Probability on Trees and Networks. Cambridge University Press,
New York, 2016. Available at http://pages.iu.edu/~rdlyons/.

[2] G. Pete. Probability and geometry on groups. http://www.math.bme.hu/ gabor/PGG.pdf,

2014.

Additional support

Three examples sheets will be provided and three associated examples classes will be given.
There will be a one-hour revision class in the Easter Term.