For the random interval partition of [0, 1] generated by the uniform stickbreaking scheme known as GEM(1), let u k be the probability that the first k intervals created by the stick-breaking scheme are also the first k intervals to be discovered in a process of uniform random sampling of points from [0, 1]. Then u k is a renewal sequence. We prove that u k is a rational linear combination of the real numbers 1, ζ(2), . . . , ζ(k) where ζ is the Riemann zeta function, and show that u k has limit 1/3 as k → ∞. Related results provide probabilistic interpretations of some multiple zeta values in terms of a Markov chain derived from the interval partition. This Markov chain has the structure of a weak record chain. Similar results are given for the GEM(θ) model, with beta(1, θ) instead of uniform stick-breaking factors, and for another more algebraic derivation of renewal sequences from the Riemann zeta function.

Consider a random real tree whose leaf set, or boundary, is endowed with a finite mass measure. Each element of the tree is further given a type, or allele, inherited from the most recent atom of a random point measure (infinitelymany-allele model) on the skeleton of the tree. The partition of the boundary into distinct alleles is the so-called allelic partition.In this paper, we are interested in the infinite trees generated by supercritical, possibly time-inhomogeneous, binary branching processes, and in their boundary, which is the set of particles 'co-existing at infinity'. We prove that any such tree can be mapped to a random, compact ultrametric tree called coalescent point process, endowed with a 'uniform' measure on its boundary which is the limit as t → ∞ of the properly rescaled counting measure of the population at time t.We prove that the clonal (i.e., carrying the same allele as the root) part of the boundary is a regenerative set that we characterize. We then study the allelic partition of the boundary through the measures of its blocks. We also study the dynamics of the clonal subtree, which is a Markovian increasing tree process as mutations are removed. K: coalescent point process; branching process; random point measure; allelic partition; regenerative set; tree-valued process. MSC2000 subject classifications: primary 05C05, 60J80; secondary 54E45; 60G51; 60G55; 60G57; 60K15; 92D10.

We consider the compact space of pairs of nested partitions of N, where by analogy with models used in molecular evolution, we call "gene partition" the finer partition and "species partition" the coarser one. We introduce the class of nondecreasing processes valued in nested partitions, assumed Markovian and with exchangeable semigroup. These processes are said simple when each partition only undergoes one coalescence event at a time (but possibly the same time). Simple nested exchangeable coalescent (SNEC) processes can be seen as the extension of Λ-coalescents to nested partitions. We characterize the law of SNEC processes as follows. In the absence of gene coalescences, species blocks undergo Λ-coalescent type events and in the absence of species coalescences, gene blocks lying in the same species block undergo i.i.d. Λ-coalescents. Simultaneous coalescence of the gene and species partitions are governed by an intensity measure ν s on (0, 1] × M 1 ([0, 1]) providing the frequency of species merging and the law in which are drawn (independently) the frequencies of genes merging in each coalescing species block. As an application, we also study the conditions under which a SNEC process comes down from infinity.

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Similarly as in [4] where nested coalescent processes are studied, we generalize the definition of partition-valued homogeneous Markov fragmentation processes to the setting of nested partitions, i.e. pairs of partitions (ζ, ξ) where ζ is finer than ξ. As in the classical univariate setting, under exchangeability and branching assumptions, we characterize the jump measure of nested fragmentation processes, in terms of erosion coefficients and dislocation measures. Among the possible jumps of a nested fragmentation, three forms of erosion and two forms of dislocation are identified -one of which being specific to the nested setting and relating to a bivariate paintbox process.