Consider a 2 x 2 GOE matrix Hs=(x1x3x3x2)H_s = \left( \begin{array}{cc} x_1 & x_3 \\ x_3 & x_2 \\ \end{array}\right) with x1,x2∼N(0,1)x_1, x_2 \sim \mathcal{N}(0, 1) and x3∼N(0,1/2)x_3 \sim \mathcal{N}(0, 1/2). What is the pdf ρ(s) \rho(s) of the spacing s=λ2−λ1s = \lambda_2 - \lambda_1 between its two eigenvalues (λ2>λ1\lambda_2 > \lambda_1)?

The two eigenvalues are random variables, given in terms of the entries by the roots of the characteristic polynomial

λ2−Tr(Hs)λ+det(Hs),\lambda^2 - \text{Tr}(H_s)\lambda + \text{det}(H_s),

Therefore λ1,2=(x1+x2±(x1−x2)2+4x32)/2\lambda_{1,2} = (x_1 + x_2 \pm \sqrt{(x_1 - x_2)^2 + 4x_3^2})/2 and s=(x1−x2)2+4x32s = \sqrt{(x_1 - x_2)^2 + 4x_3^2}.

By definition, we have

ρ(s)=∫−∞∞∫−∞∞∫−∞∞e−12x12e−12x22e−x322π2ππδ(s−(x1−x2)2+4x32)dx1dx2dx3.\rho(s) = \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \int_{-\infty}^{\infty} \frac{e^{-\frac{1}{2}x_1^2} e^{-\frac{1}{2}x_2^2} e^{-x_3^2}}{\sqrt{2\pi} \sqrt{2\pi} \sqrt{\pi}} \delta \left( s - \sqrt{(x_1 - x_2)^2 + 4x_3^2} \right) dx_1 dx_2 dx_3.

Changing variables as

{x1−x2=rcos⁡θ2x3=rsin⁡θx1+x2=ψ⇒{x1=rcos⁡θ+ψ2x2=ψ−rcos⁡θ2x3=rsin⁡θ2\left\{ \begin{array}{l} x_1 - x_2 = r \cos \theta \\ 2x_3 = r \sin \theta \\ x_1 + x_2 = \psi \\ \end{array} \right. \quad \Rightarrow \quad \left\{ \begin{array}{l} x_1 = \frac{r \cos \theta + \psi}{2} \\ x_2 = \frac{\psi - r \cos \theta}{2} \\ x_3 = \frac{r \sin \theta}{2} \\ \end{array} \right.

and computing the corresponding Jacobian

J=det(∂x1∂r∂x1∂θ∂x1∂ψ∂x2∂r∂x2∂θ∂x2∂ψ∂x3∂r∂x3∂θ∂x3∂ψ)=det(cos⁡θ2−rsin⁡θ2212−cos⁡θ2rsin⁡θ2212sin⁡θ2rcos⁡θ220)=−r4,J = \text{det} \left( \begin{array}{ccc} \frac{\partial x_1}{\partial r} & \frac{\partial x_1}{\partial \theta} & \frac{\partial x_1}{\partial \psi} \\ \frac{\partial x_2}{\partial r} & \frac{\partial x_2}{\partial \theta} & \frac{\partial x_2}{\partial \psi} \\ \frac{\partial x_3}{\partial r} & \frac{\partial x_3}{\partial \theta} & \frac{\partial x_3}{\partial \psi} \\ \end{array} \right) = \text{det} \left( \begin{array}{ccc} \cos \frac{\theta}{2} & -\frac{r \sin \frac{\theta}{2}}{2} & \frac{1}{2} \\ -\cos \frac{\theta}{2} & \frac{r \sin \frac{\theta}{2}}{2} & \frac{1}{2} \\ \sin \frac{\theta}{2} & \frac{r \cos \frac{\theta}{2}}{2} & 0 \\ \end{array} \right) = -\frac{r}{4},

One obtains

p(s)=18π3/2∫0∞drrδ(s−r)∫02πdθ∫−∞∞dψe−12[(rcos⁡θ+ψ2)2+(ψ−rcos⁡θ2)2+r2sin⁡2θ2]=4πs8π3/2∫02πdθe−s22[cos⁡2θ2+sin⁡2θ2]=s2e−s24p(s) = \frac{1}{8\pi^{3/2}} \int_0^\infty dr r \delta(s - r) \int_0^{2\pi} d\theta \int_{-\infty}^\infty d\psi e^{-\frac{1}{2}\left[ \left( \frac{r \cos \theta + \psi}{2} \right)^2 + \left( \frac{\psi - r \cos \theta}{2} \right)^2 + \frac{r^2 \sin^2 \theta}{2} \right]} \\ = \frac{\sqrt{4\pi s}}{8\pi^{3/2}} \int_0^{2\pi} d\theta e^{-\frac{s^2}{2}\left[ \frac{\cos^2 \theta}{2} + \frac{\sin^2 \theta}{2} \right]} = \frac{s}{2}e^{-\frac{s^2}{4}}

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