Spectral statistics of the k-body random-interaction model

Abstract

We reconsider the question of the spectral statistics of the k-body random-interaction model, investigated recently by Benet, Rupp, and Weidenmueller, who concluded that the spectral statistics are Poissonian. The binary-correlation method that these authors used involves formal manipulations of divergent series. We argue that Borel summation does not suffice to define these divergent series without further (arbitrary) regularization, and that this constitutes a significant gap in the demonstration of Poissonian statistics. Our conclusion is that the spectral statistics of the k-body random-interaction model remains an open question.