Sharp Spectral Zeta Asymptotics on Graphs of Quadratic Growth
Da Xu
TL;DR
The paper derives sharp asymptotics for the spectral zeta value $Z_n(1)$ of the Dirichlet Laplacian on large metric balls in irregular graphs with quadratic volume growth. By combining uniform geometric-analytic assumptions (VG(2), PI) with a quantitative homogenisation hypothesis (uniform LCLT), the authors establish $Z_n(1)=\mathcal{G} N_n \log N_n + O(N_n)$, where $N_n$ is the ball volume and $\mathcal{G}$ is a global heat-kernel constant; in $\mathbb{Z}^2$ this yields a pi-free limit $\mathcal{G}=2/\pi$. The method uses a time-domain interior–boundary decomposition and leverages intrinisic ultracontractivity, Faber–Krahn inequalities, and boundary regularity to control short- and long-time contributions. The results extend spectral zeta asymptotics from homogeneous lattices to a broad class of irregular media, with explicit pi-free constants and robust error control, highlighting the power of homogenisation in critical, recurrent settings.
Abstract
We investigate the spectral properties of the Dirichlet Laplacian on large finite metric balls within irregular infinite graphs of quadratic volume growth. We consider an exhaustion $G_n = B_{R_n}(x_0)$ and the spectral zeta value $Z_n(1) = \operatorname{tr}(L_n^{-1})$ of the killed generator $L_n$. We establish a sharp asymptotic law under the assumptions that the graph satisfies uniform quadratic volume growth (VG(2)) and a Poincare inequality (PI). These analytic-geometric hypotheses imply large-scale regularity. Additionally, we assume a standard quantitative homogenisation property: a uniform local central limit theorem with a polynomial convergence rate. This hypothesis holds for our main example classes and implies the existence of a global heat-kernel constant $\mathcal{G} > 0$ (independent of $x$). In particular, the lazy simple random walk (LSRW) satisfies $p_t(x,x) \sim \mathcal{G}/t$ as $t \to \infty$. Our main theorem establishes the sharp asymptotic $Z_n(1) = \mathcal{G},N_n \log N_n + O(N_n)$, where $N_n := |V(G_n)| \to \infty$ as $n \to \infty$. This implies a relative error of $O(1/\log N_n)$, with constants depending only on the structural parameters of $G$. This result extends far beyond homogeneous lattices. For $\mathbb{Z}^2$, this yields the constant identification $\mathcal{G} = 2/π$, providing a new limit formula that recovers $π$ without $π$ appearing in the input (a "pi-free" limit). Our techniques highlight the robustness of spectral asymptotics under homogenisation in this critical, recurrent setting.