Universality for random matrices with an edge spectrum singularity

Abstract: We study invariant random matrix ensembles \begin{equation*} \mathbb{P}n(d M)=Z_n^{-1}\exp(-n\,tr(V(M)))\,d M \end{equation*} defined on complex Hermitian matrices $M$ of size $n\times n$, where $V$ is real analytic such that the underlying density of states is one-cut regular. Considering the average \begin{equation*} E_n[\phi;\lambda,\alpha,\beta]:=\mathbb{E}_n\bigg(\prod{\ell=1}^n\big(1-\phi(\lambda_{\ell}(M))\big)\omega_{\alpha\beta}(\lambda_{\ell}(M)-\lambda)\bigg),\ \ \ \ \ \omega_{\alpha\beta}(x):=|x|^{\alpha}\begin{cases}1,&x<0\ \beta,&x\geq 0\end{cases}, \end{equation*} taken with respect to the above law and where $\phi$ is a suitable test function, we evaluate its large-$n$ asymptotic assuming that $\lambda$ lies within the soft edge boundary layer, and $(\alpha,\beta)\in\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{C}$ satisfy $\alpha>-1,\beta\notin(-\infty,0)$. Our results are obtained by using Riemann-Hilbert problems for orthogonal polynomials and integrable operators and they extend previous results of Forrester and Witte \cite{FW} that were obtained by an application of Okamoto's $\tau$-function theory. A key role throughout is played by distinguished solutions to the Painlev\'e-XXXIV equation.