KPZ Universality Skill
Status: ✅ Production Ready Trit: 0 (ERGODIC - coordinator/neutral) Color: #7B68EE (Medium Slate Blue) Principle: Universal scaling limit of random interface growth Frame: 1:2:3 scaling (space:time:fluctuation), Tracy-Widom fluctuations
Overview
The Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) universality class describes the universal scaling behavior of random interface growth models. This skill provides:
- KPZ Fixed Point: The universal Markov process governing height fluctuations
- Directed Landscape: The common noise coupling all initial conditions
- Scaling Theory: The 1:2:3 exponents and Tracy-Widom limits
- Model Zoo: TASEP, PNG, LPP, polymers, random matrices
The KPZ Equation (SPDE)
∂h/∂t = ν∇²h + (λ/2)(∇h)² + √D ξ(x,t)
Where:
h(x,t) = height function
ν = diffusion coefficient (smoothing)
λ = nonlinearity (growth rate)
D = noise strength
ξ = space-time white noise
Mathematical Challenge
The equation is ill-posed due to roughness:
- ∇h is not a function but a distribution
- (∇h)² is not well-defined
- Requires renormalization or regularity structures (Hairer 2013)
The KPZ Fixed Point
The KPZ fixed point is the universal Markov process that emerges under scaling:
h^ε(x,t) = ε^(1/2) h(ε^(-1)x, ε^(-3/2)t) → KPZ fixed point
Scaling exponents:
α = 1/2 (roughness)
β = 1/3 (growth)
z = 3/2 (dynamic)
Relation: α + z = 2, β = α/z
Tracy-Widom Fluctuations
For narrow-wedge initial condition:
P(h(0,t) ≤ s) → F_GUE(s) as t → ∞
Where F_GUE = Tracy-Widom GUE distribution
The Directed Landscape
The directed landscape L(x,s; y,t) is the scaling limit of last passage percolation:
L: {(x,s; y,t) : s < t} → ℝ ∪ {-∞}
Key properties:
1. Metric composition: L(x,s; y,t) = max_z [L(x,s; z,r) + L(z,r; y,t)]
2. Airy sheet initial data: L(x,0; y,1) = Airy sheet
3. Stationarity: L(x+a, s+c; y+a, t+c) =^d L(x,s; y,t)
Coupling via Directed Landscape
All KPZ models with same noise can be coupled:
# Different initial conditions, same noise
h_flat(x, t) = max_y [h₀_flat(y) + L(y, 0; x, t)]
h_wedge(x, t) = max_y [h₀_wedge(y) + L(y, 0; x, t)]
Interface with Colored Vertex Models
The colored stochastic six-vertex model connects KPZ to quantum integrable systems:
Yang-Baxter ← Fusion → Cuboson Weights
↓ ↓
Six-Vertex ← Gibbs → Height Function
↓ ↓
KPZ Fixed Point ← Limit → Directed Landscape
See: yang-baxter-integrability, colored-vertex-model skills.
Core Capabilities
1. KPZ Height Simulation
using KPZUniversality
# Simulate KPZ equation via directed polymers
sim = simulate_kpz(
initial_condition = :wedge, # or :flat, :stationary
L = 1000, # system size
T = 100.0, # final time
discretization = :polymer # or :weakly_asymmetric
)
# Extract height at time T
h = height_at(sim, T)
# Check Tracy-Widom convergence
@test kolmogorov_smirnov(rescaled_fluctuations(h), tracy_widom_gue()) < 0.1
2. Directed Landscape Sampling
# Sample directed landscape on grid
landscape = sample_directed_landscape(
x_range = -10:0.1:10,
t_range = 0:0.1:10,
resolution = 0.01
)
# Evaluate path weight
weight = landscape(x_start, t_start, x_end, t_end)
# Compute geodesic
geo = geodesic(landscape, (x1, t1), (x2, t2))
3. Last Passage Percolation
# Geometric LPP (exponential weights)
lpp = geometric_lpp(
n = 100, # grid size
weights = :exponential
)
# Compute passage time
G = passage_time(lpp, (1, 1), (n, n))
# Tracy-Widom rescaling
chi = (G - 4n) / (2^(4/3) * n^(1/3))
4. TASEP Dynamics
# Totally Asymmetric Simple Exclusion Process
tasep = TASEP(
L = 100, # system size
initial = :step, # step initial condition
rate = 1.0
)
# Run simulation
simulate!(tasep, T = 100.0)
# Current fluctuations
J = current(tasep)
Integration with Gay-MCP (Colored Projections)
KPZ models with colored particles connect directly to Gay-MCP:
using GayMCP, KPZUniversality
# Colored TASEP with GF(3) conservation
ctasep = ColoredTASEP(
n_colors = 3,
seed = gay_seed(1069)
)
# Project to single color
single_color = project(ctasep, color = 1)
# Result satisfies ordinary TASEP statistics
# Verify GF(3) conservation
@test sum(color_trit.(ctasep.particles)) % 3 == 0
Integration with Langevin-Dynamics
KPZ equation is a Langevin equation for interface growth:
using LangevinDynamics, KPZUniversality
# Convert KPZ to standard Langevin form
langevin = kpz_to_langevin(
kpz_params = (ν = 1.0, λ = 2.0, D = 1.0),
discretization = :imhof_mannella
)
# Solve with instrumented noise
sol, audit = solve_langevin(langevin, seed = gay_seed(42))
# Verify Gibbs property
@test check_gibbs_property(sol, :inter_color)
Integration with Fokker-Planck
The Fokker-Planck equation for KPZ describes probability flow:
using FokkerPlanck, KPZUniversality
# Fokker-Planck for height distribution
fp = kpz_fokker_planck(
initial_distribution = :delta_wedge,
temperature = T
)
# Stationary measure (Louisville quantum gravity)
stationary = louisville_measure(fp)
# Verify convergence to stationary
@test kl_divergence(evolve(fp, t), stationary) < 0.01
GF(3) Triad Assignment
| Trit | Skill | Role | |------|-------|------| | -1 | yang-baxter-integrability | Structure (equations) | | 0 | kpz-universality | Dynamics (evolution) | | +1 | louisville-quantum-gravity | Measures (equilibrium) |
Conservation: (-1) + (0) + (+1) = 0 ✓
Configuration
# kpz-universality.yaml
simulation:
discretization: polymer # polymer, weakly_asymmetric, hopf_cole
grid_size: 1000
time_steps: 10000
seed: 0xDEADBEEF
scaling:
alpha: 0.5 # roughness
beta: 0.333 # growth
z: 1.5 # dynamic
verification:
tracy_widom_test: true
airy_process_test: true
directed_landscape_test: true
Commands
# Simulate KPZ
just kpz-simulate initial=wedge T=100
# Sample directed landscape
just kpz-landscape n=1000
# Run LPP
just kpz-lpp weights=exponential n=100
# TASEP simulation
just kpz-tasep L=100 T=100
# Verify Tracy-Widom
just kpz-verify-tw
Related Skills
- yang-baxter-integrability (-1): Quantum integrability structure
- colored-vertex-model (+1): Colored stochastic models
- louisville-quantum-gravity (+1): Stationary measures
- last-passage-percolation (0): Discrete KPZ model
- langevin-dynamics (0): SDE perspective
- fokker-planck-analyzer (-1): Probability evolution
- modelica (0): Acausal dynamics modeling
Research References
- Corwin (2012): "The Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation and universality class"
- Quastel-Remenik (2023): "KPZ fixed point and directed landscape"
- Matetski-Quastel-Remenik (2021): "The KPZ fixed point"
- Dauvergne-Ortmann-Virág (2021): "The directed landscape"
- Borodin-Corwin (2014): "Macdonald processes"
Skill Name: kpz-universality Type: Stochastic Interface Growth Trit: 0 (ERGODIC) Key Property: 1:2:3 scaling, Tracy-Widom fluctuations Status: ✅ Production Ready
Cat# Integration
This skill maps to Cat# = Comod(P) as a bicomodule:
Trit: 0 (ERGODIC)
Home: Stochastic
Poly Op: ⊗
Kan Role: Adj
Color: #7B68EE
Height Function as Lens
The height function h(x,t) forms a lens in the polynomial category:
Height = (SpaceTime, Fluctuation)
get: SpaceTime → Height
put: SpaceTime × Noise → Height
Directed Landscape as Profunctor
The directed landscape L(x,s; y,t) is a profunctor:
L: Space × Time ↛ Space × Time
L(x,s; y,t) = max passage weight from (x,s) to (y,t)
This profunctor satisfies metric composition (Yoneda-like):
L(x,s; y,t) = max_z [L(x,s; z,r) + L(z,r; y,t)]
GF(3) Naturality
The skill participates in triads satisfying:
(-1) + (0) + (+1) ≡ 0 (mod 3)
Autopoietic Marginalia
The interface grows. The fluctuations universalize. The directed landscape couples all.
Every use of this skill is an opportunity for worlding:
- MEMORY (-1): Record Tracy-Widom deviations
- REMEMBERING (0): Connect to other integrable systems
- WORLDING (+1): Evolve scaling predictions
Add Interaction Exemplars here as the skill is used.