Remarks on the Interpolation Method

We discuss a generalization of the classic condition of validity of the interpolation method for the density of quenched free energy of mean field spin glasses. The condition is written just in terms of the $$L^2$$ L 2 metric structure of the Gaussian random variables. As an example of application we deduce the existence of the thermodynamic limit for a GREM model with infinite branches for which the classic conditions of validity fail. We underline the dependence of the density of quenched free energy just on the metric structure and discuss the models from a metric viewpoint.

Strong ergodicity breaking in aging of mean-field spin glasses

Out-of-equilibrium relaxation processes show aging if they become slower as time passes. Aging processes are ubiquitous and play a fundamental role in the physics of glasses and spin glasses and in other applications (e.g., in algorithms minimizing complex cost/loss functions). The theory of aging in the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of mean-field spin glass models has achieved a fundamental role, thanks to the asymptotic analytic solution found by Cugliandolo and Kurchan. However, this solution is based on assumptions (e.g., the weak ergodicity breaking hypothesis) which have never been put under a strong test until now. In the present work, we present the results of an extraordinary large set of numerical simulations of the prototypical mean-field spin glass models, namely the Sherrington–Kirkpatrick and the Viana–Bray models. Thanks to a very intensive use of graphics processing units (GPUs), we have been able to run the latter model for more than264spin updates and thus safely extrapolate the numerical data both in the thermodynamical limit and in the large times limit. The measurements of the two-times correlation functions in isothermal aging after a quench from a random initial configuration to a temperatureT<Tcprovides clear evidence that, at large times, such correlations do not decay to zero as expected by assuming weak ergodicity breaking. We conclude that strong ergodicity breaking takes place in mean-field spin glasses aging dynamics which, asymptotically, takes place in a confined configurational space. Theoretical models for the aging dynamics need to be revised accordingly.