Cover-time Gumbel fluctuations in finite-range, symmetric, irreducible random walks on torus

Abstract In this paper, we provide the mathematical foundation for an explicit and universal feature of cover time for a large class of random work processes, which was previously observed by Chupeau et al (2015 Nat. Phys. 11 844–7). Specifically, we rigorously establish that the fluctuations of the cover time, normalized by the mean first passage time, follow a Gumbel distribution, for finite-range, symmetric, irreducible random walks on a torus of dimension three or higher. The result contributes to a better understanding of cover-time behavior in random search processes, especially on the efficiency of exhaustive searches. Our approach builds upon the work of Belius (2013 Probab. Theory Relat. Fields 157 635–89) on cover times for simple random walks, leveraging a strong coupling between the random walk and random interlacements.