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Loops, Surfaces and Grassmann Representation in Two- and Three-Dimensional Ising Models

Christof Gattringer, Sebastian Jaimungal A, Gordon Walter Semenoff

Published Jan 1, 1998• 10 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

Starting from the known representation of the partition function of the 2- and 3-D Ising models as an integral over Grassmann variables, we perform a hopping expansion of the corresponding Pfaffian. We show that this expansion is an exact, algebraic representation of the loop- and surface expansions (with intrinsic geometry) of the 2- and 3-D Ising models. Such an algebraic calculus is much simpler to deal with than working with the geometrical objects. For the 2-D case we show that the algebra of hopping generators allows a simple algebraic treatment of the geometry factors and counting problems, and as a result we obtain the corrected loop expansion of the free energy. We compute the radius of convergence of this expansion and show that it is determined by the critical temperature. In 3-D the hopping expansion leads to the surface representation of the Ising model in terms of surfaces with intrinsic geometry. Based on a representation of the 3-D model as a product of 2-D models coupled to an auxiliary field, we give a simple derivation of the geometry factor which prevents overcounting of surfaces and provide a classification of possible sets of surfaces to be summed over. For 2- and 3-D we derive a compact formula for 2n-point functions in loop (surface) representation.

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An overview of the mathematical structure of the three-dimensional(3D) Ising model is given from the points of view of topology,algebra,and geometry.By analyzing the relationships among transfer matrices of the 3D Ising model,Reidemeister moves in the knot theory,Yang-Baxter and tetrahedron equations,the following facts are illustrated for the 3D Ising model.1) The complex quaternion basis constructed for the 3D Ising model naturally represents the rotation in a(3+1)-dimensional space-time as a relativistic quantum statistical mechanics model,which is consistent with the 4-fold integrand of the partition function obtained by taking the time average.2) A unitary transformation with a matrix that is a spin representation in 2 n·l·o-space corresponds to a rotation in 2n·l·o-space,which serves to smooth all the crossings in the transfer matrices and contributes the non-trivial topological part of the partition function of the 3D Ising model.3) A tetrahedron relationship would ensure the commutativity of the transfer matrices and the integrability of the 3D Ising model,and its existence is guaranteed by the Jordan algebra and the Jordan-von Neumann-Wigner procedures.4) The unitary transformation for smoothing the crossings in the transfer matrices changes the wave functions by complex phases φx,φy,and φz.The relationship with quantum field and gauge theories and the physical significance of the weight factors are discussed in detail.The conjectured exact solution is compared with numerical results,and the singularities at/near infinite temperature are inspected.The analyticity in β=1/(kBT) of both the hard-core and the Ising models has been proved only for β>0,not for β=0.Thus the high-temperature series cannot serve as a standard for judging a putative exact solution of the 3D Ising model.

中国物理B:英文版•Jan 1, 2013•0 citations
Starting from the known representation of the partition function of the 2- and 3-D Ising models as an integral over Grassmann variables, we perform a hopping expansion of the corresponding Pfaffian. We show that this expansion is an exact, algebraic representation of the loop- and surface expansions (with intrinsic geometry) of the 2- and 3-D Ising models. Such an algebraic calculus is much simpler to deal with than working with the geometrical objects. For the 2-D case we show that the algebra of hopping generators allows a simple algebraic treatment of the geometry factors and counting problems, and as a result we obtain the corrected loop expansion of the free energy. We compute the radius of convergence of this expansion and show that it is determined by the critical temperature. In 3-D the hopping expansion leads to the surface representation of the Ising model in terms of surfaces with intrinsic geometry. Based on a representation of the 3-D model as a product of 2-D models coupled to an auxiliary field, we give a simple derivation of the geometry factor which prevents overcounting of surfaces and provide a classification of possible sets of surfaces to be summed over. For 2- and 3-D we derive a compact formula for 2n-point functions in loop (surface) representation.
It is well known that the partition function of two-dimensional Ising model can be expressed as a Grassmann integral over the action bilinear in Grassmann variables. The key aspect of the proof of this equivalence is to show that all polygons, appearing in Grassmann integration, enter with fixed sign. For three-dimensional model, the partition function can also be expressed by Grassmann integral. However, the action resulting from low-temperature expansion contains quartic terms, which does not allow explicit computation of the integral. We wanted to check - apparently not explored - the possibility that using the high-temperature expansion would result in action with only bilinear terms. (in two dimensions, low-T and high-T expansions are equivalent, but in three dimensions, they differ.) It turned out, however that polygons obtained by Grassman integration are not of fixed sign for any ordering of Grassmann variables on sites. This way, it is not possible to express the partition function of three-dimensional Ising model as a Grassman integral over bilinear action.
We review the applications of the integral over anticommuting Grassmann variables (nonquantum fermionic fields) to the analytic solutions and the field-theoretical formulations for the 2D Ising models. The 2D Ising model partition function QQQ is presentable as the fermionic Gaussian integral. The use of the spin-polynomial interpretation of the 2D Ising problem is stressed, in particular. Starting with the spin-polynomial interpretation of the local Boltzmann weights, the Gaussian integral for QQQ appears in the universal form for a variety of lattices, including the standard rectangular, triangular, and hexagonal lattices, and with the minimal number of fermionic variables (two per site). The analytic solutions for the correspondent 2D Ising models then follow by passing to the momentum space on a lattice. The symmetries and the question on the location of critical point have an interesting interpretation within this spin-polynomial formulation of the problem. From the exact lattice theory we then pass to the continuum-limit field-theoretical interpretation of the 2D Ising models. The continuum theory captures all relevant features of the original models near TcT_cTc​. The continuum limit corresponds to the low-momentum sector of the exact theory responsible for the critical-point singularities and the large-distance behaviour of correlations. The resulting field theory is the massive two-component Majorana theory, with mass vanishing at TcT_cTc​. By doubling of fermions in the Majorana representation, we obtain as well the 2D Dirac field theory of charged fermions for 2D Ising models. The differences between particular 2D Ising lattices are merely adsorbed, in the field-theoretical formulation, in the definition of the effective mass.
An overview of the mathematical structure of the three-dimensional(3D) Ising model is given from the points of view of topology,algebra,and geometry.By analyzing the relationships among transfer matrices of the 3D Ising model,Reidemeister moves in the knot theory,Yang-Baxter and tetrahedron equations,the following facts are illustrated for the 3D Ising model.1) The complex quaternion basis constructed for the 3D Ising model naturally represents the rotation in a(3+1)-dimensional space-time as a relativistic quantum statistical mechanics model,which is consistent with the 4-fold integrand of the partition function obtained by taking the time average.2) A unitary transformation with a matrix that is a spin representation in 2 n·l·o-space corresponds to a rotation in 2n·l·o-space,which serves to smooth all the crossings in the transfer matrices and contributes the non-trivial topological part of the partition function of the 3D Ising model.3) A tetrahedron relationship would ensure the commutativity of the transfer matrices and the integrability of the 3D Ising model,and its existence is guaranteed by the Jordan algebra and the Jordan-von Neumann-Wigner procedures.4) The unitary transformation for smoothing the crossings in the transfer matrices changes the wave functions by complex phases φx,φy,and φz.The relationship with quantum field and gauge theories and the physical significance of the weight factors are discussed in detail.The conjectured exact solution is compared with numerical results,and the singularities at/near infinite temperature are inspected.The analyticity in β=1/(kBT) of both the hard-core and the Ising models has been proved only for β>0,not for β=0.Thus the high-temperature series cannot serve as a standard for judging a putative exact solution of the 3D Ising model.