English

Repeated singular values of a random symmetric matrix and decoupled singular value estimates

Probability 2025-04-23 v1

Abstract

Let AnA_n be a random symmetric matrix with Bernoulli {±1}\{\pm 1\} entries. For any κ>0\kappa>0 and two real numbers λ1,λ2\lambda_1,\lambda_2 with a separation λ1λ2κn1/2|\lambda_1-\lambda_2|\geq \kappa n^{1/2} and both lying in the bulk [(2κ)n1/2,(2κ)n1/2][-(2-\kappa)n^{1/2},(2-\kappa)n^{1/2}], we prove a joint singular value estimate P(σmin(AnλiIn)ϵn1/2;i=1,2)Cϵ2+2ecn. \mathbb{P}(\sigma_{min}(A_n-\lambda_i I_n)\leq\epsilon n^{-1/2};i=1,2)\leq C\epsilon^2+2e^{-cn}. For general subgaussian distribution and a mesoscopic separation λ1λ2κn1/2+σ,σ>0|\lambda_1-\lambda_2|\geq \kappa n^{-1/2+\sigma},\sigma>0 we prove the same estimate with ecne^{-cn} replaced by an exponential type error. This means that extreme behaviors of the least singular value at two locations can essentially be decoupled all the way down to the exponential scale when the two locations are separated. As a corollary, we prove that all the singular values of AnA_n in [κn1/2,(2κ)n1/2][\kappa n^{1/2},(2-\kappa)n^{1/2}] are distinct with probability 1ecn1-e^{-cn}, and with high probability the minimal gap between these singular values has order at least n3/2n^{-3/2}. This justifies, in a strong quantitative form, a conjecture of Vu up to (1κ)(1-\kappa)-fraction of the spectrum for any κ>0\kappa>0.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2504.15992,
  title  = {Repeated singular values of a random symmetric matrix and decoupled singular value estimates},
  author = {Yi Han},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.15992},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

76 pages. This paper replaces 2405.04999 with strengthened results and several corrections

R2 v1 2026-06-28T23:07:22.518Z