2014/07/29 by Zhai, Alex
#FOS: Mathematics #Probability (math.PR)
paper · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1407.7617
We prove an exponential concentration bound for cover times of general graphs in terms of the Gaussian free field, extending the work of Ding-Lee-Peres and Ding. The estimate is asymptotically sharp as the ratio of hitting time to cover time goes to zero. The bounds are obtained by showing a stochastic domination in the generalized second Ray-Knight theorem, which was shown to imply exponential concentration of cover times by Ding. This stochastic domination result appeared earlier in a preprint of Lupu, but the connection to cover times was not mentioned.