Precise logarithmic asymptotics for the right tails of some limit random variables for random trees

Abstract

For certain random variables that arise as limits of functionals of random finite trees, we obtain precise asymptotics for the logarithm of the right-hand tail. Our results are based on the facts (i) that the random variables we study can be represented as functionals of a Brownian excursion and (ii) that a large deviation principle with good rate function is known explicitly for Brownian excursion. Examples include limit distributions of the total path length and of the Wiener index in conditioned Galton-Watson trees (also known as simply generated trees). In the case of Wiener index (where we recover results proved by Svante Janson and Philippe Chassaing by a different method) and for some other examples, a key constant is expressed as the solution to a certain optimization problem, but the constant's precise value remains unknown.