The study of two-dimensional statistical physics models leads naturally to the analysis of various conformally invariant mathematical objects, such as the Gaussian free field, the Schramm-Loewner evolution, and the conformal loop ensemble. Just as Brownian motion is a scaling limit of discrete random walks, these objects serve as universal scaling limits of functions or paths associated with the underlying discrete models. We establish a new convergence result for percolation, a well-studied discrete model. We also study random sets of points surrounded by exceptional numbers of conformal loop ensemble loops and establish the existence of a random generalized function describing the nesting of the conformal loop ensemble. Using this framework, we study the relationship between Gaussian free field extrema and nesting extrema of the ensemble of Gaussian free field level loops. Finally, we describe a coupling between the set of all Gaussian free field level loops and a conformal loop ensemble growth process introduced by Werner and Wu. We prove that the dynamics are determined by the conformal loop ensemble in this coupling, and we use this result to construct a conformally invariant metric space.

This volume is dedicated to the memory of the late Oded Schramm (1961-2008), distinguished mathematician. Throughout his career, Schramm made profound and beautiful contributions to mathematics that will have a lasting influence. In these two volumes, Editors Itai Benjamini and Olle Häggström have collected some of his papers, supplemented with three survey papers by Steffen Rohde, Häggström and Cristophe Garban that further elucidate his work. The papers within are a representative collection that shows the breadth, depth, enthusiasm and clarity of his work, with sections on Geometry, Noise Sensitivity, Random Walks and Graph Limits, Percolation, and finally Schramm-Loewner Evolution. An introduction by the Editors and a comprehensive bibliography of Schramm's publications complete the volume. The book will be of especial interest to researchers in probability and geometry, and in the history of these subjects.

The 2017 PIMS-CRM Summer School in Probability was held at the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, during June 5-30, 2017. It had 125 participants from 20 different countries, and featured two main courses, three mini-courses, and twenty-nine lectures. The lecture notes contained in this volume provide introductory accounts of three of the most active and fascinating areas of research in modern probability theory, especially designed for graduate students entering research: Scaling limits of random trees and random graphs (Christina Goldschmidt) Lectures on the Ising and Potts models on the hypercubic lattice (Hugo Duminil-Copin) Extrema of the two-dimensional discrete Gaussian free field (Marek Biskup) Each of these contributions provides a thorough introduction that will be of value to beginners and experts alike.

The purpose of these notes is to explore some simple relations between Markovian path and loop measures, the Poissonian ensembles of loops they determine, their occupation fields, uniform spanning trees, determinants, and Gaussian Markov fields such as the free field. These relations are first studied in complete generality for the finite discrete setting, then partly generalized to specific examples in infinite and continuous spaces.

In addition to its further exploration of the subject of peacocks, introduced in recent Séminaires de Probabilités, this volume continues the series’ focus on current research themes in traditional topics such as stochastic calculus, filtrations and random matrices. Also included are some particularly interesting articles involving harmonic measures, random fields and loop soups. The featured contributors are Mathias Beiglböck, Martin Huesmann and Florian Stebegg, Nicolas Juillet, Gilles Pags, Dai Taguchi, Alexis Devulder, Mátyás Barczy and Peter Kern, I. Bailleul, Jürgen Angst and Camille Tardif, Nicolas Privault, Anita Behme, Alexander Lindner and Makoto Maejima, Cédric Lecouvey and Kilian Raschel, Christophe Profeta and Thomas Simon, O. Khorunzhiy and Songzi Li, Franck Maunoury, Stéphane Laurent, Anna Aksamit and Libo Li, David Applebaum, and Wendelin Werner.

This book grew out of a graduate course at ETH Zurich during the spring 2011 term. It explores various links between such notions as occupation times of Markov chains, Gaussian free fields, Poisson point processes of Markovian loops, and random interlacements, which have been the object of intensive research over the last few years. These notions are developed in the convenient setup of finite weighted graphs endowed with killing measures. This book first discusses elements of continuous-time Markov chains, Dirichlet forms, potential theory, together with some consequences for Gaussian free fields. Next, isomorphism theorems and generalized Ray-Knight theorems, which relate occupation times of Markov chains to Gaussian free fields, are presented. Markovian loops are constructed and some of their key properties derived. The field of occupation times of Poisson point processes of Markovian loops is investigated. Of special interest are its connection to the Gaussian free field, and a formula of Symanzik. Finally, links between random interlacements and Markovian loops are discussed, and some further connections with Gaussian free fields are mentioned.