Universal Linear Response of First-Passage Kinetics: A Framework for Prediction and Inference

Описание: Shlomi Reuveni speaks at STATPHYS29, the International Conference on Statistical Physics, Florence, Italy, July 18, 2025.

Abstract

First-passage processes are pervasive across numerous scientific fields, yet a general framework for understanding their response to external perturbations remains elusive. In this talk, I will present a universal linear response theory for first-passage times, showing that the mean first-passage time under a rare perturbation depends only on the unperturbed mean and variance, and the mean completion time after perturbation onset. I will demonstrate how this simple yet powerful result offers a tool for predicting the impact of perturbations on first-passage processes across various scenarios and research fields. I will also demonstrate that our framework enables a new type of experiment: inferring molecular-level fluctuations from bulk measurements, a feat previously believed to be impossible.

References

[1] Keidar, T.D. and Reuveni, S., 2025. Universal linear response of the mean first-passage time. arXiv preprint arXiv:2410.16129.

Speaker website: https://www.sreuveni.com/