{
  "abstract": "We introduce a multi-trace eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, an extension of ETH that governs connected correlations of operator matrix elements with arbitrary index structures, including several disjoint index cycles. We derive multi-trace ETH from local rotational invariance, relate its independent data to higher-order free cumulants, and construct a cyclic matrix model that encodes the resulting multi-cycle data. We provide evidence for multi-trace ETH in chaotic quantum systems and compute multi-trace correlations in low-dimensional gravity. In few-body systems, multi-trace contributions arise from correlated periodic orbits, including a linear ramp contribution to the one-point spectral form factor. In two dimensions, we compute interaction-induced multi-trace correlations from a quartically coupled bulk scalar in JT gravity, relating winding matter diagrams to corrections of matter-channel weights and anomalous dimensions. In three dimensions, we show that multi-trace non-Gaussianities arise from both topology-changing saddles and light matter. Using Virasoro TQFT and conformal mean-field theory, we compute examples involving knot and link complements and torus wormholes with matter loops. Across these settings, multi-trace ETH provides a common framework for both connected correlators in chaotic quantum systems and multi-boundary wormhole amplitudes in gravity.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2611.00197",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Ahmed I. Abdalla"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gabriele Di Ubaldo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Elisa Tabor"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fkjzmf0d367ne.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2611.00197",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "fkjzmf0d367ne",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.00197",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "LicenseRef-arXiv-nonexclusive-1.0",
  "licence_label": "arXiv licence",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "cond-mat.stat-mech"
    ],
    [
      "arxiv",
      "hep-th"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2611.00197",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-01",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fkjzmf0d367ne.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-03T12:20:59Z",
      "native_id": "2611.00197",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2611.00197"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:hep-th",
      "subfield": "high-energy"
    },
    {
      "field": "physics",
      "origin": "arxiv:cond-mat.stat-mech",
      "subfield": "statistical-nonlinear"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The Multi-trace Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis",
  "title_text": "The Multi-trace Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-05T15:20:18Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fkjzmf0d367ne",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}