Exact Solution of a Generalized ANNNI Model on a Cayley Tree

We consider the Ising model on a rooted Cayley tree of order two with nearest neighbor interactions and competing next nearest neighbor interactions restricted to spins belonging to the same branch of the tree. This model was studied by Vannimenus who found a new modulated phase, in addition to the paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic phases and a (+ + - -) periodic phase. Vannimenus’s results are based on an analysis of the recurrence equations (relating the partition function of an n ? generation tree to the partition function of its subsystems containing (n ?1) generations) and most results are obtained numerically. In this paper we analytically study the recurrence equations and obtain some exact results: critical temperatures and curves, number of phases, partition function.