Scaling limits of random planar maps with large faces

We discuss asymptotics for large random planar maps under the assumption that the distribution of the degree of a typical face is in the domain of attraction of a stable distribution with index α ∈ (1, 2). When the number n of vertices of the map tends to infinity, the asymptotic behavior of distances from a distinguished vertex is described by a random process called the continuous distance process, which can be constructed from a centered stable process with no negative jumps and index α. In particular, the profile of distances in the map, rescaled by the factor n−1/2α, converges to a random measure defined in terms of the distance process. With the same rescaling of distances, the vertex set viewed as a metric space converges in distribution as n → ∞, at least along suitable subsequences, towards a limiting random compact metric space whose Hausdorff dimension is equal to 2α.