On the topological characterization of two-dimensional phase transitions

It is shown that for the two-dimensional planar-rotator model the variance of the number of vortices inside a large loop is proportional to the perimeter of the loop at all temperatures. A similar result holds for the variance of the charge inside a loop in the lattice Coulomb gas model. Hence a topological distinction between the high and low temperature phases of these models (area law versus perimeter law) is not possible.