Accelerating Abelian Random Walks with Hyperbolic Dynamics

Abstract: Given integers $d \geq 2, n \geq 1$, we consider affine random walks on torii $(\mathbb{Z} / n \mathbb{Z})^{d}$ defined as $X_{t+1} = A X_{t} + B_{t} \mod n$, where $A \in \mathrm{GL}{d}(\mathbb{Z})$ is an invertible matrix with integer entries and $(B{t})_{t \geq 0}$ is a sequence of iid random increments on $\mathbb{Z}^{d}$. We show that when $A$ has no eigenvalues of modulus $1$, this random walk mixes in $O(\log n \log \log n)$ steps as $n \rightarrow \infty$, and mixes actually in $O(\log n)$ steps only for almost all $n$. These results generalize those on the so-called Chung-Diaconis-Graham process, which corresponds to the case $d=1$. Our proof is based on the initial arguments of Chung, Diaconis and Graham, and relies extensively on the properties of the dynamical system $x \mapsto A^{\top} x$ on the continuous torus $\mathbb{R}^{d} / \mathbb{Z}^{d}$. Having no eigenvalue of modulus one makes this dynamical system a hyperbolic toral automorphism, a typical example of a chaotic system known to have a rich behaviour. As such our proof sheds new light on the speed-up gained by applying a deterministic map to a Markov chain.