Spatial covariance of KPZ from flat initial profile

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Chen, Le, Jiménez, Juan J.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Chen, Le
Jiménez, Juan J.
author_facet Chen, Le
Jiménez, Juan J.
contents We study the fixed-time spatial covariance of the KPZ equation with flat initial profile. Using Malliavin calculus and a Clark-Ocone representation, we show that as $|x|\to\infty$, $\mathrm{Cov}[h(t,x),h(t,0)]$ is governed by a boundary-layer regime near the initial time and satisfies $\mathrm{Cov}[h(t,x),h(t,0)] \sim κ(t) \int_0^t p_{2r}(x) dr = \frac{2κ(t)}{\sqrtπ}t^{3/2}|x|^{-2}\exp\left(-\frac{x^2}{4t}\right),$ as $|x|\to\infty$, where $κ(t) = \big(\mathbb{E}[Z(t,0)^{-1}]\big)^2$, $Z$ is the flat stochastic heat equation solution, and $p_t$ is the one-dimensional heat kernel. In sharp contrast with the narrow-wedge regime, where Gu-Pu (2025, Theorem 1.1) proved that for each fixed $t>0$, $\mathrm{Cov}\left[h^{\mathrm{nw}}(t,x),h^{\mathrm{nw}}(t,0)\right]\sim \frac{t}{|x|},$ as $|x|\to\infty$, the flat initial profile exhibits Gaussian decay, yielding, to the best of our knowledge, the first exact spatial covariance asymptotic for the KPZ equation under flat initial data. We also establish an explicit closed-form formula for the second moment of the continuum directed random polymer partition function.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_14174
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Spatial covariance of KPZ from flat initial profile
Chen, Le
Jiménez, Juan J.
Probability
60H15, 60H07, 35R60
We study the fixed-time spatial covariance of the KPZ equation with flat initial profile. Using Malliavin calculus and a Clark-Ocone representation, we show that as $|x|\to\infty$, $\mathrm{Cov}[h(t,x),h(t,0)]$ is governed by a boundary-layer regime near the initial time and satisfies $\mathrm{Cov}[h(t,x),h(t,0)] \sim κ(t) \int_0^t p_{2r}(x) dr = \frac{2κ(t)}{\sqrtπ}t^{3/2}|x|^{-2}\exp\left(-\frac{x^2}{4t}\right),$ as $|x|\to\infty$, where $κ(t) = \big(\mathbb{E}[Z(t,0)^{-1}]\big)^2$, $Z$ is the flat stochastic heat equation solution, and $p_t$ is the one-dimensional heat kernel. In sharp contrast with the narrow-wedge regime, where Gu-Pu (2025, Theorem 1.1) proved that for each fixed $t>0$, $\mathrm{Cov}\left[h^{\mathrm{nw}}(t,x),h^{\mathrm{nw}}(t,0)\right]\sim \frac{t}{|x|},$ as $|x|\to\infty$, the flat initial profile exhibits Gaussian decay, yielding, to the best of our knowledge, the first exact spatial covariance asymptotic for the KPZ equation under flat initial data. We also establish an explicit closed-form formula for the second moment of the continuum directed random polymer partition function.
title Spatial covariance of KPZ from flat initial profile
topic Probability
60H15, 60H07, 35R60
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.14174