Algebraic Reduction of the Ising Model

We consider the Ising model on a cylindrical lattice of L columns, with fixed-spin boundary conditions on the top and bottom rows. The spontaneous magnetization can be written in terms of partition functions on this lattice. We show how we can use the Clifford algebra of Kaufman to write these partition functions in terms of L by L determinants, and then further reduce them to m by m determinants, where m is approximately L/2. In this form the results can be compared with those of the Ising case of the superintegrable chiral Potts model. They point to a way of calculating the spontaneous magnetization of that more general model algebraically.     

The Order Parameter of the Chiral Potts Model

An outstanding problem in statistical mechanics is the order parameter of the chiral Potts model. An elegant conjecture for this was made in 1983. It has since been successfully tested against series expansions, but there is as yet no proof of the conjecture. Here we show that if one makes a certain analyticity assumption similar to that used to derive the free energy, then one can indeed verify the conjecture. The method is based on the ‘‘broken rapidity line’’ approach pioneered by Jimbo et al. (J. Phys. A 26:2199--2210 (1993).).     

Functional Relations for the Order Parameters of the Chiral Potts Model

Following the method of Jimbo, Miwa, and others, we obtain functional relations for the order parameters of the chiral Potts model. We have not yet solved these relations. Here we discuss their properties and show how one should beware of spurious solutions.     

Chiral Potts model with skewed boundary conditions

We obtain the transfer matrix functional relations for the chiral Potts model with skewed boundary conditions and find that they are the same as for periodic boundary conditions, but with modified selection rules. As a start toward calculating the interfacial tension in general, we here evaluate it in a low-temperature limit, performing a Bethe-ansatz-type calculation. Finally, we specialize the relations to the superintegrable case, verifying the ansatz proposed by Albertiniet al.     

Corner transfer matrices of the chiral Potts model

We present some symmetry and factorization relations satisfied by the corner transfer matrices (CTMs) of the chiral Potts model. We show how the single-spin expectation values can be expressed in terms of the CTMs, and in terms of the related boost operator. Low-temperature calculations lead naturally to the variables that uniformize the Boltzmann weights of the model.     

Corner transfer matrices of the chiral Potts model. II. The triangular lattice

We consider a two-dimensional edge-interaction model satisfying the star-triangle relations. For the triangular lattice, the corner transfer matrices are functions of three rapidities: we show that they possess various factorization properties and satisfy certain equations. We indicate how these equations can be solved for the Ising model. We then consider the three-state chiral Potts model and obtain low-temperature solutions to the equations. The conjectured formula for the order parameter (the spontaneous magnetization) is verified to one more order in a series expansion.     

Equivalence of the Two Results for the Free Energy of the Chiral Potts Model

The free energy of the chiral Potts model has been obtained in two ways. The first used only the star-triangle relation, symmetries, and invariances, and led to a system of equations that implicitly define the free energy, and from which the critical behavior can be obtained The second used the functional relations derived by Bazhanov and Stroganov, solving them to obtain the free energy explicitly as a double integral. Here we obtain, for the first time, a direct verification that the two results are identical at all temperatures.     

The Riemann Surface of the Chiral Potts Model Free Energy Function

In a recent paper we derived the free energy or partition function of the N-state chiral Potts model by using the infinite lattice inversion relation method, together with a non-obvious extra symmetry. This gave us three recursion relations for the partition function per site T _pq of the infinite lattice. Here we use these recursion relations to obtain the full Riemann surface of T _pq . In terms of the t _p ,t _q variables, it consists of an infinite number of Riemann sheets, each sheet corresponding to a point on a (2N–1)-dimensional lattice (for N>2). The function T _pq is meromorphic on this surface: we obtain the orders of all the zeros and poles. For N odd, we show that these orders are determined by the usual inversion and rotation relations (without the extra symmetry), together with a simple linearity ansatz. For N even, this method does not give the orders uniquely, but leaves only [(N+4)/4] parameters to be determined.     

Spin Operator Matrix Elements in the Superintegrable Chiral Potts Quantum Chain

We derive spin operator matrix elements between general eigenstates of the superintegrable ℤ _N -symmetric chiral Potts quantum chain of finite length. Our starting point is the extended Onsager algebra recently proposed by Baxter. For each pair of spaces (Onsager sectors) of the irreducible representations of the Onsager algebra, we calculate the spin matrix elements between the eigenstates of the Hamiltonian of the quantum chain in factorized form, up to an overall scalar factor. This factor is known for the ground state Onsager sectors. For the matrix elements between the ground states of these sectors we perform the thermodynamic limit and obtain the formula for the order parameters. For the Ising quantum chain in a transverse field (N=2 case) the factorized form for the matrix elements coincides with the corresponding expressions obtained recently by the Separation of Variables method.     

Baxter's Solution for the Free Energy of the Chiral Potts Model

In honor of Baxter's sixtieth birthday, we would like to review some of his work on the free energy of the chiral Potts model. In spite of the enormous complexity and difficulty of the problem, Baxter, using functional relations was able to calculate not only the free energy, but also the interfacial tension. We here show that the integral for the free energy simplifies in the superintegrable case and is identical to his earlier results using entirely different approaches. His calculations are extended to include other regions. We also attempt to clarify some of his reasoning as several steps may be mysterious at first glance.     

Interfacial tension of the chiral Potts model

We calculate the interfacial tension of theN-state chiral Potts model by solving the functional relations for the transfer matrices of the model with skewed boundary conditions. Our result is valid for the general physical model (with positive Boltzmann weights) and at all subcritical temperatures. The interfacial tension has been calculated previously for the superintegrable chiral Potts model with skewed boundary conditions. UsingZ-invariance, Baxter has argued that the interfacial tension of this model should be the same as the interfacial tension of the general physical model. We show that this is indeed the case.     

Free energy of the chiral Potts model in the scaling region

We explicitly calculate the free energy of the general solvableN-state chiral Potts model in the scaling region, forT<T _c . We do this from both of the two available results for the free energy, and verify that they are mutually consistent. Ift=T _c –T, then we find that - _c /t has a Taylor expansion in powers oft ^2/N (together with higher-order non-scaling terms of ordert, ort logt).     

An Algebraic Derivation of the Eigenspaces Associated with an Ising-Like Spectrum of the Superintegrable Chiral Potts Model

In terms of the loop algebra and the algebraic Bethe-ansatz method, we derive the invariant subspace associated with a given Ising-like spectrum consisting of 2 ^r eigenvalues of the diagonal-to-diagonal transfer matrix of the superintegrable chiral Potts (SCP) model with arbitrary inhomogeneous parameters. We show that every regular Bethe eigenstate of the τ ₂-model leads to an Ising-like spectrum and is an eigenvector of the SCP transfer matrix which is given by the product of two diagonal-to-diagonal transfer matrices with a constraint on the spectral parameters. We also show in a sector that the τ ₂-model commutes with the loop algebra, , and every regular Bethe state of the τ ₂-model is of highest weight. Thus, from physical assumptions such as the completeness of the Bethe ansatz, it follows in the sector that every regular Bethe state of the τ ₂-model generates an -degenerate eigenspace and it gives the invariant subspace, i.e. the direct sum of the eigenspaces associated with the Ising-like spectrum.     

Corrections to finite-size-scaling in two dimensional Potts models

High resolution Monte Carlo simulations are used to examine the finite size behavior of Q-state Potts models in two dimensions. For Q = 3 we find that at the critical point bulk properties are subject to much larger corrections to finite size scaling than were previously realized. For Q = 4 we find that corrections to finite size scaling are subtle and that the multiplicative logarithmic correction is insufficient to correct the dominant terms.     

Free energy of the solvable chiral Potts model

Very recently, it has been shown that there are chiralN-state Potts models in statistical mechanics that satisfy the star-triangle relation. Here it is shown that the relation implies that the free energy (and its derivatives) satisfies certain functional relations. These can be used to obtain the free energy: in particular, we expand about the critical case and find that the exponent is 1–2/N.     

Finite-Size Effects for the Potts Model with Weak Boundary Conditions

Using the Pirogov–Sinai theory, we study finite-size effects for the ferromagnetic q-state Potts model in a cube with boundary conditions that interpolate between free and constant boundary conditions. If the surface coupling is about half of the bulk coupling and q is sufficiently large, we show that only small perturbations of the ordered and disordered ground states are dominant contributions to the partition function in a finite but large volume. This allows a rigorous control of the finite-size effects for these weak boundary conditions. In particular, we give explicit formulæ for the rounding of the infinite-volume jumps of the internal energy and magnetization, as well as the position of the maximum of the finite-volume specific heat. While the width of the rounding window is of order L ^–d , the same as for periodic boundary conditions, the shift is much larger, of order L ^–1. For strong boundary conditions—the surface coupling is either close to zero or close to the bulk coupling—the finite size effects at the transition point are shown to be dominated by either the disordered or the ordered phase, respectively. In particular, it means that sufficiently small boundary fields lead to the disordered, and not to the ordered Gibbs state. This gives an explicit proof of A. van Enter's result that the phase transition in the Potts model is not robust.     

Numerical results for the three-state critical Potts model on finite rectangular lattices

Partition functions for the three-state critical Potts model on finite square lattices and for a variety of boundary conditions are presented. The distribution of their zeros in the complex plane of the spectral variable is examined and is compared to the expected infinite-lattice result. The partition functions are then used to test the finite-size scaling predictions of conformal and modular invariance.     

Variational approximations for square lattice models in statistical mechanics

This paper concerns a square lattice, Ising-type model with interactions between the four spins at the corners of each face. These may include nearest and next-nearest-neighbor interactions, and interactions with a magnetic field. Provided the Hamiltonian is symmetric with respect to both row reversal and column reversal, a rapidly convergent sequence of variational approximations is obtained, giving the free energy and other thermodynamic properties. For the usual Ising model, the lowest such approximations are those of Bethe and of Kramers and Wannier. The method provides a new definition of corner transfer matrices.     

Exact Potts Model Partition Functions for Strips of the Honeycomb Lattice

We present exact calculations of the Potts model partition function Z(G,q,v) for arbitrary q and temperature-like variable v on strip graphs G of the honeycomb lattice for a variety of transverse widths equal to L _y vertices and for arbitrarily great length, with free longitudinal boundary conditions and free and periodic transverse boundary conditions. These partition functions have the form , where m denotes the number of repeated subgraphs in the longitudinal direction. We give general formulas for N _Z,G,j for arbitrary L _y . We also present plots of zeros of the partition function in the q plane for various values of v and in the v plane for various values of q. Plots of specific heat for infinite-length strips are also presented, and, in particular, the behavior of the Potts antiferromagnet at is investigated.     

Series expansions from corner transfer matrices: The square lattice Ising model

The corner transfer matrix formalism is used to obtain low-temperature series expansions for the square lattice Ising model in a field. This algebraic technique appears to be far more efficient than conventional methods based on combinatorial enumeration.