We consider sample covariance matrices of the form $X^*X$, where $X$ is an $M times N$ matrix with independent random entries. We prove the isotropic local Marchenko-Pastur law, i.e. we prove that the resolvent $(X^* X - z)^{-1}$ converges to a multiple of the identity in the sense of quadratic forms. More precisely, we establish sharp high-probability bounds on the quantity $langle v, (X^* X - z)^{-1} w rangle - langle v,w rangle m(z)$, where $m$ is the Stieltjes transform of the Marchenko-Pastur law and $v, w in mathbb C^N$. We require the logarithms of the dimensions $M$ and $N$ to be comparable. Our result holds down to scales $Im z geq N^{-1+epsilon}$ and throughout the entire spectrum away from 0. We also prove analogous results for generalized Wigner matrices.

Let each point of a homogeneous Poisson process in ℝ^{$d$}independently be equipped with a random number of stubs (half-edges) according to a given probability distribution$μ$on the positive integers. We consider translation-invariant schemes for perfectly matching the stubs to obtain a simple graph with degree distribution$μ$. Leaving aside degenerate cases, we prove that for any$μ$there exist schemes that give only finite components as well as schemes that give infinite components. For a particular matching scheme which is a natural extension of Gale–Shapley stable marriage, we give sufficient conditions on$μ$for the absence and presence of infinite components.

We study inhomogeneous random graphs in the subcritical case. Among other results, we derive an exact formula for the size of the largest connected component scaled by log$n$, with$n$being the size of the graph. This generalizes a result for the “rank-1 case”. We also investigate branching processes associated with these graphs. In particular, we discover that the same well-known equation for the survival probability, whose positive solution determines the asymptotics of the size of the largest component in the supercritical case, also plays a crucial role in the subcritical case. However, now it is the$negative$solutions that come into play. We disclose their relationship to the distribution of the progeny of the branching process.