The study of convolution powers of a finitely supported probability distribution φ on the d-dimensional square lattice is central to random walk theory. For instance, the nth convolution power φ (n) is the distribution of the nth step of the associated random walk and is described by the classical local limit theorem. Following previous work of P. Diaconis and the authors, we explore the more general setting in which φ takes on complex values. This problem, originally motivated by the problem of Erastus L. De Forest in data smoothing, has found applications to the theory of stability of numerical difference schemes in partial differential equations. For a complex valued function φ on Z d , we ask and address four basic and fundamental questions about the convolution powers φ (n) which concern sup-norm estimates, generalized local limit theorems, pointwise estimates, and stability. This work extends one-dimensional results of I. J. Schoenberg, T. N. E. Greville, P. Diaconis and the second author and, in the context of stability theory, results by V. Thomée and M. V. Fedoryuk.

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Explicit Fermi coordinates are given for geodesic observers comoving with the Hubble flow in expanding Robertson-Walker spacetimes, along with exact expressions for the metric tensors in Fermi coordinates. For the case of non inflationary cosmologies, it is shown that Fermi coordinate charts are global, and space-time is foliated by space slices of constant Fermi (proper) time that have finite extent. A universal upper bound for the proper radius of any leaf of the foliation, i.e., for the proper radius of the spatial universe at any fixed time of the geodesic observer, is given. A general expression is derived for the geometrically defined Fermi relative velocity of a test particle (e.g. a galaxy cluster) comoving with the Hubble flow away from the observer. Least upper bounds of superluminal recessional Fermi velocities are given for spacetimes whose scale factors follow power laws, including matter-dominated and radiation-dominated cosmologies. Exact expressions for the proper radius of any leaf of the foliation for this same class of spacetimes are given. It is shown that the radii increase linearly with proper time of the observer moving with the Hubble flow. These results are applied to particular cosmological models.

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