Logarithmic universality in random matrix theory Original Research Article

Universality in unitary invariant random matrix ensembles with complex matrix elements is considered. We treat two general ensembles which have a determinant factor in the weight. These ensembles are relevant, e.g., for spectra of the Dirac operator in QCD. In addition to the well established universality with respect to the choice of potential, we prove that microscopic spectral correlators are unaffected when the matrix in the determinant is replaced by an expansion in powers of the matrix. We refer to this invariance as logarithmic universality. The result is used in proving that a simple random matrix model with Ginsparg-Wilson symmetry has the same microscopic spectral correlators as chiral random matrix theory.