Comment on “Short-time dynamics of noise-induced escapes and transitions in overdamped systems” by Soskin et al., Semiconductor Physics, Quantum Electronics & Optoelectronics, 2022. 25, No 3. P. 262–274

I clarify the reasons for the observed discrepancy between the numerical simulations of noise induced escape in a quartic potential by Soskin et al., and the weak noise matched asymptotic solution (MAS) of the time dependent Smoluchowski equation obtained earlier [V. Shneidman, Phys. Rev. E56, 5257 (1997)]. A minor typo – sign of a constant – is corrected and the MAS is also extended beyond the top of the barrier into the second well. Once numerics is performed for a higher barrier, the correspondence with analytics is restored.