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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kieburg, Mario
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.12141
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author Kieburg, Mario
author_facet Kieburg, Mario
contents We review the ideas of how random matrix theory has to be properly applied to quantum physics; particularly we focus on how the spectrum has to be properly prepared and the random matrix correctly identified before the random matrix and the physical eigenvalue spectrum can be compared. We explain the ideas of the symmetry classification of symmetric matrix spaces and how that yields Dyson's threefold and Altland-Zirnbauer's tenfold way. We also outline how the joint probability density function of the eigenvalues can be calculated from a given probability density function on the matrix space. Furthermore, we dive into the subtleties of the unfolding procedure. For this purpose, we explain the ideas of the local mean level spacing, the local level spacing distribution and the $k$-point correlation functions. We outline the techniques of orthogonal polynomials, determinantal and Pfaffian point processes and their related Fredholm determinants and Pfaffians as well as the supersymmetry method. Moreover, we relate the local spectral statistics to effective Lagrangians that give the relation to non-linear $σ$-models. In all these discussions, we also make brief excursions to non-Hermitian random matrix theory which are useful when studying open quantum systems, for instance.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_12141
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Quantum chaotic systems: a random-matrix approach
Kieburg, Mario
Quantum Physics
Mathematical Physics
We review the ideas of how random matrix theory has to be properly applied to quantum physics; particularly we focus on how the spectrum has to be properly prepared and the random matrix correctly identified before the random matrix and the physical eigenvalue spectrum can be compared. We explain the ideas of the symmetry classification of symmetric matrix spaces and how that yields Dyson's threefold and Altland-Zirnbauer's tenfold way. We also outline how the joint probability density function of the eigenvalues can be calculated from a given probability density function on the matrix space. Furthermore, we dive into the subtleties of the unfolding procedure. For this purpose, we explain the ideas of the local mean level spacing, the local level spacing distribution and the $k$-point correlation functions. We outline the techniques of orthogonal polynomials, determinantal and Pfaffian point processes and their related Fredholm determinants and Pfaffians as well as the supersymmetry method. Moreover, we relate the local spectral statistics to effective Lagrangians that give the relation to non-linear $σ$-models. In all these discussions, we also make brief excursions to non-Hermitian random matrix theory which are useful when studying open quantum systems, for instance.
title Quantum chaotic systems: a random-matrix approach
topic Quantum Physics
Mathematical Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.12141