On the environmental modes for the generalized Langevin equation.

The generalized Langevin equation (GLE) is used widely in molecular science and time series analysis as it offers a convenient low-dimensional description for large systems. There the dynamical effect of the environment interacting with the low-dimensional system is expressed as friction and random force. The present paper aims to investigate explicit dynamical variables to describe the dynamical modes in the environment that are derived from the GLE and defined solely in terms of the time series of the observed variable. The formulation results in equations of motion without a memory term and hence offers a more intuitive description than the GLE. The framework provided by the present study is expected to elucidate a multi-dimensional dynamics hidden behind the time series of the observed quantity.