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arXiv:2510.17637 · Physical review. B./Physical review. B

Conjecture on the lower bound of the length-scale critical exponent ν at continuous phase transitions

Andrea Pelissetto C, Ettore Vicari

Published Jun 9, 2026• 1 citation
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

A fundamental issue in the renormalization-group (RG) theory of critical phenomena concerns the allowed values of critical exponents that are consistent with the continuous nature of a phase transition. Here we conjecture a lower bound for the length-scale exponent $ν$, which should hold for the large class of continuous transitions associated with $d$-dimensional Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson (LGW) $Φ^4$ theories with a multicomponent scalar field $φ$ and a unique $φ\cdot φ$ quadratic term (including some extensions with fermionic and gauge fields), describing many universality classes of critical phenomena. If $Δ_φ=(d-2+η)/2$ is the dimension of the order-parameter field $φ$, and $Δ_\varepsilon=d-1/ν$ is the RG dimension of the energy operator $\varepsilon$, which can be identified with $[φ\cdot φ]$ (the squared field with a proper subtraction of the mixing with the identity), we conjecture the inequality $Δ_\varepsilon \ge 2 Δ_φ$, which implies $ν\ge (2-η)^{-1}$ and $γ= (2-η)ν\ge 1$. These inequalities are supported by general arguments for ferromagnetic lattice models, by $ε$-expansion results for generic LGW $Φ^4$ theories close to four dimensions, exact relations for two-dimensional minimal conformal field theories, and are consistent with all further known (numerical, perturbative, and exact) results for LGW $Φ^4$ theories. In particular, since unitarity requires $η\ge 0$, the above inequality implies $ν\ge 1/2$ for unitary theories. This lower bound is more restrictive than $ν> 1/d$, derived by noting that $ν=1/d$ characterizes the singular finite-size behavior at first-order transitions.

DOI
10.1103/d575-y18d

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A fundamental issue in the renormalization-group (RG) theory of critical phenomena concerns the allowed values of critical exponents that are consistent with the continuous nature of a phase transition. Here we conjecture a lower bound for the length-scale exponent ννν, which should hold for the large class of continuous transitions associated with ddd-dimensional Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson (LGW) Φ4Φ^4Φ4 theories with a multicomponent scalar field φφφ and a unique φ⋅φφ\cdot φφ⋅φ quadratic term (including some extensions with fermionic and gauge fields), describing many universality classes of critical phenomena. If Δφ=(d−2+η)/2Δ_φ=(d-2+η)/2Δφ​=(d−2+η)/2 is the dimension of the order-parameter field φφφ, and Δε=d−1/νΔ_\varepsilon=d-1/νΔε​=d−1/ν is the RG dimension of the energy operator ε\varepsilonε, which can be identified with [φ⋅φ][φ\cdot φ][φ⋅φ] (the squared field with a proper subtraction of the mixing with the identity), we conjecture the inequality Δε≥2ΔφΔ_\varepsilon \ge 2 Δ_φΔε​≥2Δφ​, which implies ν≥(2−η)−1ν\ge (2-η)^{-1}ν≥(2−η)−1 and γ=(2−η)ν≥1γ= (2-η)ν\ge 1γ=(2−η)ν≥1. These inequalities are supported by general arguments for ferromagnetic lattice models, by εεε-expansion results for generic LGW Φ4Φ^4Φ4 theories close to four dimensions, exact relations for two-dimensional minimal conformal field theories, and are consistent with all further known (numerical, perturbative, and exact) results for LGW Φ4Φ^4Φ4 theories. In particular, since unitarity requires η≥0η\ge 0η≥0, the above inequality implies ν≥1/2ν\ge 1/2ν≥1/2 for unitary theories. This lower bound is more restrictive than ν>1/dν> 1/dν>1/d, derived by noting that ν=1/dν=1/dν=1/d characterizes the singular finite-size behavior at first-order transitions.
In the 1960's, four famous scaling relations were developed which relate the six standard critical exponents describing continuous phase transitions in the thermodynamic limit of statistical physics models. They are well understood at a fundamental level through the renormalization group. They have been verified in multitudes of theoretical, computational and experimental studies and are firmly established and profoundly important for our understanding of critical phenomena. One of the scaling relations, hyperscaling, fails above the upper critical dimension. There, critical phenomena are governed by Gaussian fixed points in the renormalization-group formalism. Dangerous irrelevant variables are required to deliver the mean-field and Landau values of the critical exponents, which are deemed valid by the Ginzburg criterion. Also above the upper critical dimension, the standard picture is that, unlike for low-dimensional systems, finite-size scaling is non-universal. Here we report on new developments which indicate that the current paradigm is flawed and incomplete. In particular, the introduction of a new exponent characterising the finite-size correlation length allows one to extend hyperscaling beyond the upper critical dimension. Moreover, finite-size scaling is shown to be universal provided the correct scaling window is chosen. These recent developments also lead to the introduction of a new scaling relation analogous to one introduced by Fisher 50 years ago.
To set the stage for our subsequent thorough discussion of dynamic critical phenomena, we first review the theoretical description of second-order equilibrium phase transitions. (Readers already well acquainted with this material may readily move on to Chapter 2.) To this end, we compare the critical exponents following from the van-der-Waals equation of state for weakly interacting gases with the results from the Curie–Weiss mean-field approximation for the ferromagnetic Ising model. We then provide a unifying description in terms of Landau–Ginzburg theory, i.e., a long-wavelength expansion of the effective free energy with respect to the order parameter. The Gaussian model is analyzed, and a quantitative criterion is established that defines the circumstances when non-linear fluctuations need to be taken into account properly. Thereby we identify d c = 4 as the upper critical dimension for generic continuous phase transitions in thermal equilibrium. The most characteristic feature of a critical point turns out to be the divergence of the correlation length that renders microscopic details oblivious. As a consequence, not only the correlation functions, but remarkably the thermodynamics as well of a critical system are governed by an emergent unusual symmetry: scale invariance. A simple scaling ansatz is capable of linking different critical exponents; as an application, we introduce the basic elements of finite-size scaling. Finally, a brief sketch of Wilson's momentum shell renormalization group method is presented, intended as a pedagogical preview of the fundamental RG ideas. Exploiting the scale invariance properties at the critical point, the scaling forms of the free energy and the order parameter correlation function are derived.
In the framework of the renormalization-group (RG) theory of critical phenomena, a quantitative description of many continuous phase transitions can be obtained by considering an effective Φ 4 theories, having an N -component fundamental field Φ i and containing up to fourth-order powers of the field components. Their RG flow is usually characterized by several fixed points (FPs). We give here strong arguments in favour of the following conjecture: the stable FP corresponds to the fastest decay of correlations, that is, is the one with the largest values of the critical exponent η describing the power-law decay of the two-point function at criticality. We prove this conjecture in the framework of the ε-expansion. Then, we discuss its validity beyond the ε-expansion. We present several lower-dimensional cases, mostly three-dimensional, which support the conjecture. We have been unable to find a counterexample.
Abstract In this work, we define and calculate critical exponents associated with higher order thermodynamic phase transitions. Such phase transitions can be classified into two classes: with or without a local order parameter. For phase transitions involving a local order parameter, we write down the Landau theory and calculate critical exponents using the saddle point approximation. Further, we investigate fluctuations about the saddle point and demarcate when such fluctuations dominate over saddle point calculations by introducing the generalized Ginzburg criteria. We use Wilsonian renormalization group (RG) to derive scaling forms for observables near criticality and obtain scaling relations between the critical exponents. Afterwards, we find out fixed points of the RG flow using the one-loop beta function and calculate critical exponents about the fixed points for third and fourth order phase transitions.
Abstract In Chapter 14, the singular behavior of ferromagnetic systems with O(N) symmetry and short-range interactions, near a second order phase transition has been determined in the mean-field approximation, which is also a quasi-Gaussian approximation. The mean-field approximation predicts a set of universal properties, properties independent of the detailed structure of the microscopic Hamiltonian, the dimension of space, and, to a large extent, of the symmetry of systems. However, the leading corrections to the mean-field approximation, in dimensions smaller than or equal to four, diverge at the critical temperature, and the universal predictions of the mean-field approximation cannot be correct. Such a problem originates from the non-decoupling of scales and leads to the question of possible universality. In Chapter 9, the question has been answered in four dimensions using renormalization theory, and related renormalization group (RG) equations. Moreover, below four dimensions, in an expansion around the mean-field, the most singular terms near criticality can be also formally recovered from a continuum, low-mass φ4 field theory. More generally, following Wilson, to understand universality beyond the mean-field approximation, it is necessary to build a general renormalization group in the form of flow equations for effective Hamiltonians and to find fixed points of the flow equations. Near four dimensions, the flow equations can be approximated by the renormalization group of quantum field theory (QFT), and the fixed points and critical behaviours derived within the framework of the Wilson-Fisher ϵ expansion.
Wilson's momentum-shell transformation with the concomitant expansion around the upper critical dimension is defined. The basic notions of relevant and irrelevant couplings, renormalization flow, and fixed points are introduced. The origins of scaling and of universality are explained, and corrections to mean-field values of critical exponents are computed. The field theoretic renormalization group is briefly discussed and used to calculate the anomalous dimension. Idea We found that the direct perturbation theory in the Ginzburg–Landau–Wilson theory breaks down below the upper critical dimension because the perturbation parameter grows with the correlation length, and so becomes arbitrarily large as the critical point is approached. If the system were finite, on the other hand, the correlation length would be bound by its size, and perturbation theory could succeed. Singular thermodynamic behavior near the critical point comes from the thermodynamic limit, or, more precisely, from those modes that have arbitrary low energies in an infinitely large system. This is called the infrared singularity . This observation suggests the following strategy to avoid the problem of direct perturbation theory. First, note that mass m only provides the energy scale in Eq. (2.36). It is practical to rescale it out by absorbing it into the chemical potential, rede- fined as 2 m μ/ħ 2 → μ, and into the interaction coupling, as 2 m λ/ħ 2 → λ. Similarly, near the critical point, the temperature T ≈ T c may be replaced by the critical temperature, and then eliminated by rescaling the action as 2 m κ B T c S /ħ 2 → S.