Mathematical physics sits at the fascinating intersection where abstract equations meet the fundamental laws of our universe. This field uses rigorous mathematical tools to model everything from the behavior of subatomic particles to the curvature of spacetime, turning complex theories into testable predictions. It is the language through which physicists describe reality, bridging the gap between pure mathematics and physical observation.

On Gist.Science, we process every new preprint published in this category on arXiv to make these dense studies accessible to everyone. Whether you are a specialist or a curious reader, you will find both plain-language overviews and detailed technical summaries for each paper. Below are the latest mathematical physics papers from arXiv, curated to help you explore the cutting edge of theoretical science.

🔢 mathematics

Waves within a network of slowly time-modulated interfaces: time-dependent effective properties, reciprocity and high-order dispersion

This paper demonstrates that a 1D periodic network of slowly time-modulated interfaces can generate effective time-dependent bulk wave properties and high-order dispersive effects through homogenization, while preserving reciprocity and exhibiting k-gaps under periodic modulation.

Michaël Darche, Raphaël Assier, Sébastien Guenneau, Bruno Lombard, Marie Touboul2026-03-31
🔢 mathematics

Operator Norm Bounds for Multi-leg Matrix Tensors and Applications to Random Matrix Theory

This paper develops a colored directed graph formalism to establish sharp operator norm bounds for partial traces of matrix tensors, demonstrating that their maximum values depend on the maximal number of directed cycles in associated graphs and applying these combinatorial results to extend asymptotic freeness concepts in multi-matrix random matrix theory.

Benoît Collins, Wangjun Yuan2026-03-31
🔢 mathematics

Extended Equivalence of U(1)U(1) Chern-Simons and Reshetikhin-Turaev TQFTs

This paper proves that for even levels, the U(1)U(1) Chern-Simons topological quantum field theory is naturally isomorphic to the Reshetikhin-Turaev TQFT constructed from the pointed modular category C(Zk,qk)\mathrm{C}(\mathbb{Z}_k,q_k), establishing their equivalence as extended (2+1)(2+1)-dimensional theories for both closed 3-manifolds and bordisms with boundary.

Daniel Galviz2026-03-31
🔢 mathematics

Persistence diagrams of random matrices via Morse theory: universality and a new spectral diagnostic

This paper establishes a direct analytical link between the eigenvalues of symmetric random matrices and their persistence diagrams via Morse theory, demonstrating that the resulting persistence entropy serves as a novel, high-performance spectral diagnostic for distinguishing universality classes and detecting spectral perturbations where traditional metrics fail.

Matthew Loftus2026-03-31
🔢 mathematics

Marked GUE-corners process in doubly periodic dimer models

This paper establishes that the fluctuations of periodically weighted Aztec diamond dimer models near their turning points, as the system size tends to infinity, converge to a marked GUE-corners process where independent Bernoulli marks encode the model's periodicity, a result proven via a double-contour integral representation of the inverse Kasteleyn matrix on a higher-genus Riemann surface.

Tomas Berggren, Nedialko Bradinoff2026-03-31