KPZ equation from ASEP plus general speed-change drift

Abstract: We derive the KPZ equation as a continuum limit of height functions in asymmetric simple exclusion processes with drift that depends on the local particle configuration. To our knowledge, it is a first such result for a class of particle systems without duality or explicit invariant measures. The tools developed in this paper consist of estimates on the corresponding Kolmogorov equations, giving a more robust proof of the Boltzmann-Gibbs principle. These tools are not exclusive to KPZ.