The relaxational models introduced in a previous treatment of critical dynamics are studied in detail using renormalization-group methods. The earlier results are justified by an analysis to all order in $\ensuremath{\epsilon}=4\ensuremath{-}d$, where
d is the dimensionality. The diagrammatic formalism of the full dynamic renormalization group is presented, and applied to the earlier models. A generalization of Wilson's Feynman-graph expansion method is used to calculate the exponents to second order in $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$. In model
C, where a nonconserved order parameter is coupled to a conserved energy field, ambiguities were found in the earlier recursion-relation treatment for
2<n<4, $d\ensuremath{\approx}4$ (
n is the number of components of the order parameter). These ambiguities are discussed in the present work, but are not fully resolved.
In dealing with critical phenomena of complex systems that simulate realistic materials, the full structure of the renormalization group is often unnecessarily cumbersome. For approximate calculations and for systems with special properties, specialized generators are simpler to apply. We derive several such exact and approximate differential generators and solve a number of interesting practical problems to illustrate this approach: (i) We derive a new approximate differential generator based on the Wilson incomplete-integration generator. Using this generator we calculate for an
n-component spin system the eigenvalues (critical-point exponents) associated with a critical point of arbitrary order
O and "propagator exponent" $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}$ to first order in the expansion parameter ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\mathcal{O}}(\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\sigma}})=d+\mathcal{O}(\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}\ensuremath{-}d)$; this extends previous work for $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}=2$,
O arbitrary; $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}\ensuremath{\le}2$,
O=2 (long-rang forces); and $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}=4$,
O=2 (the "Lifshitz point"). Our results agree with those obtainable using an approximate generator based on the Wegner-Houghton equation. The cases $\stackrel{\ifmmode \tilde{}\else \~{}\fi{}}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}=2L$ (
L a positive integer \ensuremath{\ge}2) describe the onset of helical ordering for which $|\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{k}}|\ensuremath{\sim}{(\ensuremath{-}p)}^{{\ensuremath{\beta}}_{k}}$, where ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{k}=\frac{1}{2(L\ensuremath{-}1)}+o({\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\mathcal{O}}^{2}(2L))$ and
p parametrizes the hypersurface of critical points. For
p>0, the ordered phase is uniform; for
p<0 there is spiral order. The point
p=0, at which such nonuniform ordering commences, we term a generalized Lifshitz point of Lifschitz character
L. (ii) We consider the full Wilson and Wegner-Houghton generators in the paired spin-momenta limit and the $n\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\infty}$ limit for even-order critical points. These limiting generators are identical for both full generators. This demonstrates that at least in these cases the Wilson and Wegner-Houghton generators agree exactly, without recourse to perturbation theory. These simple exact generators should provide "anchors" for calculations of exponents for higher-order critical points. (iii) We derive approximate generators which are suitable for compressible magnetic systems and more general systems with constraints for which the spin momenta are grouped in any arbitrary manner. We apply this to the case of a simple compressible magnet model and obtain the exact renormalization-group trajectories to order $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ with $\ensuremath{\epsilon}\ensuremath{\equiv}{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{2}(2)=4\ensuremath{-}d$.
The free energy of the Coulomb gap problem is expanded as a set of Feynman diagrams, using the standard diagrammatic methods of perturbation theory. The gap in the one-particle density of states due to long-ranged interactions corresponds to a renormalization of the two-point vertex function. By collecting together the leading-order logarithmic corrections we have derived the standard result for the density of states for the critical dimension, . This method, which is shown to be identical to the approach of Thouless, Anderson and Palmer to spin glasses, allows us to derive the strong-disorder behaviour of the density of states. The use of the renormalization group allows this derivation to be extended to all disorders, and the use of an -expansion allows the method to be extended to and . We speculate that the renormalization group equations can also be derived diagrammatically, allowing a simple derivation of the crossover behaviour observed in the case of weak disorder.
With a view to study the convergence properties of the derivative expansion of the exact renormalization group (RG) equation, I explicitly study the leading and next-to-leading orders of this expansion applied to the Wilson–Polchinski equation in the case of the N -vector model with the symmetry O ( N ). As a test, the critical exponents η and ν as well as the subcritical exponent ω (and higher ones) are estimated in three dimensions for values of N ranging from 1 to 20. I compare the results with the corresponding estimates obtained in preceding studies or treatments of other O ( N ) exact RG equations at second order. The possibility of varying N allows the derivative expansion method to be better valued. The values obtained from the resummation of high orders of perturbative field theory are used as standards to illustrate the eventual convergence in each case. Particular attention is drawn to the preservation (or not) of the reparameterization invariance.
We give an approximate renormalization-group formulation which parallels that of Wilson. The group generator represents the momentum-independent limit of the differential generator of Wegner and Houghton. The eigenfunctions near the Gaussian point are computed for all spin dimensions
n and lattice dimensions
d, including
d=2. The nontrivial fixed-point Hamiltonian in dimensions near $d=\frac{2\mathcal{O}}{(\mathcal{O}\ensuremath{-}1)}$, together with the eigenvalues near that nontrivial fixed point, are found explicitly to first order in ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\mathcal{O}}\ensuremath{\equiv}\mathcal{O}(2\ensuremath{-}d)+d$ for all values of
n and the order
O. Odd-dominated Ising systems and corresponding expansions in ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{\mathcal{O}\ensuremath{-}\frac{1}{2}}$ are also treated.
We provide analytical arguments showing that the "nonperturbative" approximation scheme to Wilson's renormalization group known as the derivative expansion has a finite radius of convergence. We also provide guidelines for choosing the regulator function at the heart of the procedure and propose empirical rules for selecting an optimal one, without prior knowledge of the problem at stake. Using the Ising model in three dimensions as a testing ground and the derivative expansion at order six, we find fast convergence of critical exponents to their exact values, irrespective of the well-behaved regulator used, in full agreement with our general arguments. We hope these findings will put an end to disputes regarding this type of nonperturbative methods.