English

Central limit theorem on CAT(0) spaces with contracting isometries

Group Theory 2024-07-31 v3 Dynamical Systems Probability

Abstract

Let GG be a group with a non-elementary action on a proper CAT(0) space XX, and let μ\mu be a measure on GG such that the random walk (Zn)n(Z_n)_n generated by μ\mu has finite second moment on XX. Let oo be a basepoint in XX, and assume that there exists a rank one isometry in GG. We prove that in this context, (Zno)n(Z_n o )_n satisfies a Central Limit Theorem, namely that the random variables 1n(d(Zno,o)nλ)\frac{1}{\sqrt{n}}(d(Z_n o, o) - n \lambda) converge in law to a non-degenerate Gaussian distribution NμN_\mu, for λ\lambda the (positive) drift of the random walk. The strategy relies on the use of hyperbolic models introduced by H. Petyt, A. Zalloum and D. Spriano, which are analogues of curve graphs and cubical hyperplanes for the class of CAT(0) spaces. As a side result, we prove that the probability that the nth-step ZnZ_n acts on XX as a contracting isometry goes to 1 as nn goes to infinity.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2209.11648,
  title  = {Central limit theorem on CAT(0) spaces with contracting isometries},
  author = {Corentin Le Bars},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2209.11648},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

42 pages, 6 figures, revised version accepted in Annales de l'Institut Fourier

R2 v1 2026-06-28T01:58:26.205Z