Scaling-limit conjecture for longest increasing subsequences

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Fix parameters p+p_+ and p−p_-, and let α~+\tilde\alpha_+ and α~−\tilde\alpha_- be the critical parameters defined earlier in the paper. Define

μ=m(α~+;p+,p−),σ=(α~+2m”(α~+;p+,p−)2)1/3,\mu = m(\tilde\alpha_+;p_+,p_-),\qquad \sigma = \left(\frac{\tilde\alpha_+^2m”(\tilde\alpha_+;p_+,p_-)}{2}\right)^{1/3}, μ+(z)=m(z;p+,p−),σ+(z)=(zm′(z;p+,p−))1/2,\mu_+(z)=m(z;p_+,p_-),\qquad \sigma_+(z)=(zm'(z;p_+,p_-))^{1/2}, μ−(z)=m(z;p−,p+),σ−(z)=(zm′(z;p−,p+))1/2.\mu_-(z)=m(z;p_-,p_+),\qquad \sigma_-(z)=(zm'(z;p_-,p_+))^{1/2}.

Assume that α~±∉{0,∞}\tilde\alpha_\pm\notin\{0,\infty\}, σ>0\sigma>0, σ+(α+)2>0\sigma_+(\alpha_+)^2>0 for α~+<α+<R(p−)−1\tilde\alpha_+<\alpha_+<R(p_-)^{-1}, and σ−(α−)2>0\sigma_-(\alpha_-)^2>0 for α~−<α−<R(p+)−1\tilde\alpha_-<\alpha_-<R(p_+)^{-1}. Write FGUEF_{\mathrm{GUE}} for the GUE limiting distribution, G(w)G(w) and H(w+,w−)H(w_+,w_-) for the critical limiting distributions, and N(a,v)N(a,v) for a normal distribution with mean aa and variance vv.

Scaling-limit conjecture. As n→∞n\to\infty, the following limits hold. If 0≤α+<α~+0\leq\alpha_+<\tilde\alpha_+ and 0≤α−<α~−0\leq\alpha_-<\tilde\alpha_- are fixed, then

λ1(p+n,p−n;α+,α−)−μnσn1/3→FGUE.\frac{\lambda_1(p_+^n,p_-^n;\alpha_+,\alpha_-)-\mu n}{\sigma n^{1/3}}\to F_{\mathrm{GUE}}.

Near the critical point, set α±=α~±exp⁡(−2w±/(σn1/3))\alpha_\pm=\tilde\alpha_\pm\exp(-2w_\pm/(\sigma n^{1/3})). If w±w_\pm and 0≤α∓<α~∓0\leq\alpha_\mp<\tilde\alpha_\mp are fixed, then

λ1(p+n,p−n;α+,α−)−μnσn1/3→G(w±).\frac{\lambda_1(p_+^n,p_-^n;\alpha_+,\alpha_-)-\mu n}{\sigma n^{1/3}}\to G(w_\pm).

If w+w_+ and w−w_- are fixed, then

λ1(p+n,p−n;α+,α−)−μnσn1/3→H(w+,w−).\frac{\lambda_1(p_+^n,p_-^n;\alpha_+,\alpha_-)-\mu n}{\sigma n^{1/3}}\to H(w_+,w_-).

Finally, let fixed α+0\alpha^0_+ and α−0\alpha^0_- satisfy α±0>α~±\alpha^0_\pm>\tilde\alpha_\pm and μ+(α+0)=μ−(α−0)\mu_+(\alpha^0_+)=\mu_-(\alpha^0_-). Set α±=α±0exp⁡(x±/(σ±(α±0)n1/2))\alpha_\pm=\alpha^0_\pm\exp(x_\pm/(\sigma_\pm(\alpha^0_\pm)n^{1/2})). If x±x_\pm and 0≤α∓<α∓00\leq\alpha_\mp<\alpha^0_\mp are fixed, then

λ1(p+n,p−n;α+,α−)−μ±(α±0)nn1/2→N(x±,σ±(α±0)2).\frac{\lambda_1(p_+^n,p_-^n;\alpha_+,\alpha_-)-\mu_\pm(\alpha^0_\pm)n}{n^{1/2}}\to N(x_\pm,\sigma_\pm(\alpha^0_\pm)^2).

If x+x_+ and x−x_- are fixed, then

λ1(p+n,p−n;α+,α−)−μ±(α±0)nn1/2→max⁡(N(x+,σ+(α+0)2),N(x−,σ−(α−0)2)).\frac{\lambda_1(p_+^n,p_-^n;\alpha_+,\alpha_-)-\mu_\pm(\alpha^0_\pm)n}{n^{1/2}}\to \max\bigl(N(x_+,\sigma_+(\alpha^0_+)^2),N(x_-,\sigma_-(\alpha^0_-)^2)\bigr).

These assertions propose a complete collection of GUE, critical, and Gaussian fluctuation regimes for the longest increasing subsequence statistic under repeated parameters. The critical distributions are compared in the source with distributions studied by Baik and Rains, while the conjecture itself is not stated as proved and its resolution status is therefore open.

References

Primary source

Eric M. Rains, “A mean identity for longest increasing subsequence problems”, arXiv:math/0004082 (2000).

Progress summary

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Open

No public discussion or published progress appears to have addressed this conjecture.

No public discussion or published progress was found for the stated scaling-limit conjecture, including its GUE, critical, and Gaussian fluctuation claims.

Current status (as of August 2026): The conjecture appears open, with no recorded public activity establishing or refuting any of its asserted limits.

Solutions 0

No solutions have been posted yet.