The short-range van Hemmen model in a simple Kikuchi approximation: Comparison with the mean-field model and with spin-glasses

A simple first-order Kikuchi approximation is studied for the short-range (nearest-neighbour) version of the van Hemmen mean-field model originally proposed for spin-glasses. Although the approximation is very similar to the mean-field treatment, the phase diagrams from the two methods are drastically different. Previously reported results are reviewed and extended. The “reentrant” ferromagnetic to “spin-glass” transition found in zero magnetic field persists in small fields. The equilibrium magnetization displays a maximum as a function of temperature in the reentrance region. The characteristic S-shape of the magnetization versus field in the “spin-glass” region and magnetic hysteresis are observed. In addition, some exact results concerning the problem of the lower critical dimension of the short-range model are derived.