New renormalization group results for scaling of self-avoiding tethered membranes

The scaling properties of self-avoiding polymerized two-dimensional membranes are studied via renormalization group methods based on a multilocal operator product expansion. The renormalization group functions are calculated to second order. This yields the scaling exponent ν to order ε² Our extrapolations for ν agree with the Gaussian variational estimate for large space dimension d and are close to the Flory estimate for d = 3. The interplay between self-avoidance and rigidity at small d is briefly discussed.     

An introduction to the fundamentals of the renormalization group in critical phenomena

The fundamental concepts underlying the application of the renormalization group and related techniques to critical phenomena are reviewed at an elementary level. Topics discussed include: the definition of the renormalization group as a functional integral over high momentum components of the spin field, the behaviour of the renormalization group near the fixed point and the derivation of scaling, Wilson's approximate recursion relation, trivial and non-trivial fixed points of isotropic spin systems near d = 4, Feynman graph expansions for critical exponents, ? = 4 ? d and 1/n-expansions, the derivation of exact recursion relations and co-ordinate space transformations for d = 2 Ising systems     

The renormalization group and the ϵ expansion

The modern formulation of the renormalization group is explained for both critical phenomena in classical statistical mechanics and quantum field theory. The expansion in ? = 4?d is explained [d is the dimension of space (statistical mechanics) or space-time (quantum field theory)]. The emphasis is on principles, not particular applications. Sections 1–8 provide a self-contained introduction at a fairly elementary level to the statistical mechanical theory. No background is required except for some prior experience with diagrams. In particular, a diagrammatic approximation to an exact renormalization group equation is presented in sections 4 and 5; sections 6–8 include the approximate renormalization group recursion formula and the Feyman graph method for calculating exponents. Sections 10–13 go deeper into renormalization group theory (section 9 presents a calculation of anomalous dimensions). The equivalence of quantum field theory and classical statistical mechanics near the critical point is established in section 10; sections 11–13 concern problems common to both subjects. Specific field theoretic references assume some background in quantum field theory. An exact renormalization group equation is presented in section 11; sections 12 and 13 concern fundamental topological questions.     

Diffusion in a random medium: A renormalization group approach

We investigate through a continuous random diffusion equation the long-distance properties of the general non-symmetric hopping model. The lower and upper critical dimensionalities are d = 1 and d = 2 respectively. A renormalization group analysis shows that the velocity and the diffusion constant obey scaling laws with non-classical exponents, which are computed to first order in ε = 2 ? d. Similar scaling laws, based on heuristic arguments, are conjectured for the AC conductivity.     

Two-parameter expansion in the renormalization-group analysis of turbulence

The renormalization of the solution of the Navier-Stokes equation for randomly stirred fluid with long-range correlations of the driving force is analysed near two dimensions. It is shown that a local term must be added to the correlation function of the random force for the correct renormalization of the model at two dimensions. The interplay of the short-range and long-range terms in the large-scale behaviour of the model is analysed near two dimensions by the field-theoretic renormalization group. A regular expansion in 2ε=d-2 and δ=2-λ is constructed, whered is the space dimension and λ the exponent of the powerlike correlation function of the driving force. It is shown that in spite of the additional divergences, the asymptotic behaviour of the model near two dimensions is the same as in higher dimensions, contrary to recent conjectures based on an incorrect renormalization procedure.     

Mean-field renormalization group for the q-state clock spin-glass model

The mean-field renormalization group is used to study the phase diagrams of a d-dimensional q-state clock spin-glass model. We found, for q = 3 clock, the transition from paramagnet to spin glass is an isotropic spin-glass phase, but for q = 4 clock, the transition from paramagnet to spin glass is an anisotropic spin-glass phase. However, for q ⩾ 5 clock, the result of anisotropic spin-glass phase depends on the temperature and the distribution of random coupling. While the coordinate number approaches infinity, the critical temperature evaluated by the mean-field renormalization group method is equal to that by the replica method.     

On the renormalization of the Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation

The Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) equation of nonlinear stochastic growth in d dimensions is studied using the mapping onto a system of directed polymers in a quenched random medium. The polymer problem is renormalized exactly in a minimally subtracted perturbation expansion about d = 2. For the KPZ roughening transition in dimensions d > 2, this renormalization group yields the dynamic exponent z = 2 and the roughness exponent χ = 0, which are exact to all orders in ε ≡ (2 − d)/2. The expansion becomes singular in d = 4. If this singularity persists in the strong-coupling phase, it indicates that d = 4 is the upper critical dimension of the KPZ equation. Further implications of this perturbation theory for the strong-coupling phase are discussed. In particular, it is shown that the correlation functions and the coupling constant defined in minimal subtraction develop an essential singularity at the strong-coupling fixed point.     

Dynamic Monte Carlo renormalization group

A new and simple method of applying the idea of real space renormalization group theory to the analysis of Monte Carlo configurations is proposed and applied to the Glauber kinetic Ising model in two and three dimensions, and to the Kawasaki model in two dimensions. Our method, if correct, utilizes how the system approaches its equilibrium; in contrast to most other Monte Carlo investigations there is no need to wait until equilibrium is established. The renormalization analysis takes only a small fraction of the computer time needed to produce the Monte Carlo configurations, and the results are obtained as the system relaxes atT =T _c , the critical temperature. The values obtained for the dynamical critical exponent,z, are 2.12 (d=2) and 2.11 (d=3) for the Glauber model, the 3.90 for the two-dimensional Kawasaki model. These results are in good agreement with those obtained by other methods but with smaller error bars in three dimensions.     

Renormalization group functions of the φ<Superscript>4</Superscript> theory in the strong coupling limit: Analytical results

The previous attempts of reconstructing the Gell-Mann-Low function β(g) of the φ⁴ theory by summing perturbation series give the asymptotic behavior β(g) = β_∞ g in the limit g→∞, where α = 1 for the space dimensions d = 2, 3, 4. It can be hypothesized that the asymptotic behavior is β(g) ～ g for all d values. The consideration of the zero-dimensional case supports this hypothesis and reveals the mechanism of its appearance: it is associated with vanishing of one of the functional integrals. The generalization of the analysis confirms the asymptotic behavior β(g) ～ g in the general d-dimensional case. The asymptotic behaviors of other renormalization group functions are constant. The connection with the zero-charge problem and triviality of the φ⁴ theory is discussed.     

A fixed point for quantum gravity

Using the 1/N expansion a fixed point of the renormalization group is found for quantized gravitational theories which is non-trivial in all dimensions, d, including four. Using the fixed point it is shown how Einstein's theory can be renormalized for 3<d<4. In four dimensions the pure Einstein theory does not exist, but the R + C_μναβ² theory does. It is shown how gravitational theories whose quantum lagrangians are scale invariant may be renormalized such that the scale invariance is broken only by the choice of the critical renormalization group trajectory. A comparison is made with the renormalization of four-fermion and Yukawa theories in 4?? dimensions which suggests that quantum gravity might exist in four dimensions even if those theories do not.     

A new group theoretical technique for the analysis of Bianchi identities and its application to the auxiliary field problem of D = 5 supergravity

For any (super)group and hence for any geometrical (super)theory Bianchi identities imply that certain 3-forms vanish. In order to perform a systematic analysis of their implications in the presence of constraints one needs a complete basis of independent 3-forms spanning the 3-form linear space. In this paper we discuss a general procedure for the derivation of such a basis in the case of supersymmetric theories involving commuting spinor 1-forms. Our technique is based on the decomposition of the product of group representations into irreducible components and replaces all Fierz rearrangements. We give as examples the cases of N = 1, d = 4, N = 2, d = 4 and N = 2, d = 5 supergravity. Then applying our algebraic techniques to the last of these three models, the only other known example, besides N = 1, d = 4 supergravity, of a pure geometrical theory, we derive its off-shell structure containing 48 bosons and 48 fermions. The torsion-like constraints which we implement in the Bianchis in order to obtain our set of auxiliary fields are a subset of the complete set of variational equations of the theory so that we derive our off-shell multiplet without any reference to an embedding conformal symmetry. The point with which we still need to use ingenuity is the selection of those equations which are to be kept and those which are to be thrown out.     

Singularrenormalization group transformations and first order phase transitions (I)

It is argued that standard position and momentum space renormalization group (RG) transformations are singular (i.e. lead to a singular hamiltonian after a finite number of RG steps) in large regions of the coupling constant space. It is shown in the d = 3, φ⁶ O(N)_N→∞ model that the momentum space RG transformation is singular in all those points of the coupling constant space, where metastable states exist. This region includes the full first order phase transition surface and its neighbourhood. Several other examples are discussed to illustrate that this phenomenon is generic and not a specific large N effect. Some earlier and recent anomalous Monte Carlo renormalization group results are consistent with this conclusion.     

Finite-size crossover in systems with slab geometry

A renormalization group study of the finite-size (dimensional) crossover is carried out with the help pf ε = 4 − d and ε₀ = 3 − d expansion techniques. The finite-size crossover and the invariance relation for the length scale transformation are proven up to the two-loop approximation. The formal equivalence between the finite-size crossover in classical systems and the quantum-to-classical dimensional crossover in certain quantum statistical models is emphasized and exploited. The finite-size corrections to the fluctuation shift of the critical temperature and the width of the critical region are investigated. It is shown that the shift exponent λ describing the fractional rounding of the critical temperature obeys the relation λ = D − 2, where D is the dimensionality of the system.     

The renormalized variational theory: Its structure,interpretation, and relation to other methods

We apply the Ritz variational principle to a renormalized form of the Iwamoto-Yamada cluster expansion, restricting our discussion to infinite systems. The structure of the resulting theory is governed by the renormalization which keeps track of the normalization denominator in the expectation value. The single-particle potential for hole states (u_i) is introduced as a Lagrange multiplier in the variational principle, and the self-consistent choice of u_i guarantees that the renormalization factors are determined correctly. The importance of the renormalization is illustrated by a discussion of the two-body approximation to our theory. The general formalism is evaluated in more detail for the representation Ψ_T = exp(S)Φ of the trial wave function. Very fundamental considerations show that the theory is especially adapted to that choice of Ψ_T. In addition, if we use that choice of Ψ_T the self-consistent single-particle energies are directly related to experiment, and the theory is almost identical to renormalized Brueckner theory. Thus we are able to clarify many aspects of the latter. We also discuss the relation to the theory of Coester and Kümmel.     

Non-linear σ-model and CP(n−1) at 2 + ε dimensions

Two systems, O(n) non-linear σ-model and CP^(n?1), are studied in the light of Elitzur's theorem, on the disappearance of infrared singularities at two dimensions. The consequences of the theorem are expressed in dimensional regularization, and issues like the proper analytic continuation to d = 2 + ε, the peculiarities of momentum-space Green functions near d = 2 and their renormalization, and the exponentiation of Green functions are clarified.The analysis is applied to compute the renormalization constants, and the gauge-invariant critical exponent η associated with the wave function of CP^(n?1) at one order higher than previously done. Finally, we conjecture on a possible connection between infrared finiteness and renormalizability.     

Mixed Spin-1/2 and Spin-5/2 Model by Renormalization Group Theory: Recursion Equations and Thermodynamic Study

Using the renormalization group approximation, specifically the Migdal-Kadanoff technique, we investigate the Blume-Capel model with mixed spins S = 1/2 and S = 5/2 on d-dimensional hypercubic lattice. The flow in the parameter space of the Hamiltonian and the thermodynamic functions are determined. The phase diagram of this model is plotted in the (anisotropy, temperature) plane for both cases d = 2 and d = 3 in which the system exhibits the first and second order phase transitions and critical end-points. The associated fixed points are drawn up in a table, and by linearizing the transformation at the vicinity of these points, we determine the critical exponents for d = 2 and d = 3. We have also presented a variation of the free energy derivative at the vicinity of the first and second order transitions. Finally, this work is completed by a discussion and comparison with other approximation.     

Migdal renormalization group approach to deconfinement phase transition

The Migdal renormalization group approach is applied to a finite temperature lattice gauge theory. Imposing the periodic boundary condition in the timelike orientation, the phase structure of the finite temperature lattice gauge system with a gauge groupG in (d+1)-dimensional space is determined by two kinds of recursion equations, describing spacelike and timelike correlations, respectively. One is the recursion equation for ad-dimensional gauge system with the gauge groupG, and the other corresponds to ad-dimensional spin system for which the effective theory is described by the nearest neighbor interaction of the Wilson lines. Detailed phase structure is investigated for theSU(2) gauge theory in (3+1)-dimensional space. Deconfinement phase transition is obtained. Using the recursion equation for the three dimensional spin system of the Wilson lines, it is shown that the flow of the renormalization group trajectories leads to a phase transition of the three dimensional Ising model.     

Electron-doping versus hole-doping in the 2D t-t' Hubbard model

We compare the one-loop renormalization group flow to strong coupling of the electronic interactions in the two-dimensional t-t'-Hubbard model with t' = - 0.3t for band fillings smaller and larger than half-filling. Using a numerical N-patch scheme ( N = 32, ..., 96) we show that in the electron-doped case with decreasing electron density there is a rapid transition from a d _{x2 - y2}-wave superconducting regime with small characteristic energy scale to an approximate nesting regime with strong antiferromagnetic tendencies and higher energy scales. This contrasts with the hole-doped side discussed recently which exhibits a broad parameter region where the renormalization group flow suggests a truncation of the Fermi surface at the saddle points. We compare the quasiparticle scattering rates obtained from the renormalization group calculation which further emphasize the differences between the two cases. Received 19 December 2000 and Received in final form 28 February 2001