Ramanujan Property and Edge Universality of Random Regular Graphs

TL;DR

This paper proves that the eigenvalues of large random regular graphs exhibit optimal rigidity and edge universality, with a significant proportion being Ramanujan graphs, thus advancing understanding of their spectral properties.

Contribution

It establishes eigenvalue rigidity and edge universality for random regular graphs, showing convergence to Tracy-Widom distribution and quantifying Ramanujan graph prevalence.

Findings

Eigenvalues are optimally rigid with high probability.

Edge eigenvalues follow Tracy-Widom distribution.

Approximately 69% of large random regular graphs are Ramanujan.

Abstract

We consider the normalized adjacency matrix of a random $d$-regular graph on $N$ vertices with any fixed degree $d\geq 3$ and denote its eigenvalues as $\lambda_1=d/\sqrt{d-1}\geq \lambda_2\geq\lambda_3\cdots\geq \lambda_N$. We establish the following two results as $N\rightarrow \infty$. (i) With high probability, all eigenvalues are optimally rigid, up to an additional $N^{{\rm o}(1)}$ factor. Specifically, the fluctuations of bulk eigenvalues are bounded by $N^{-1+{\rm o}(1)}$, and the fluctuations of edge eigenvalues are bounded by $N^{-2/3+{\rm o}(1)}$. (ii) Edge universality holds for random $d$-regular graphs. That is, the distributions of $\lambda_2$ and $-\lambda_N$ converge to the Tracy-Widom$_1$ distribution associated with the Gaussian Orthogonal Ensemble. As a consequence, for sufficiently large $N$, approximately $69\%$ of $d$-regular graphs on $N$ vertices are Ramanujan, meaning $\max\{\lambda_2,|\lambda_N|\}\leq 2$.