Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:hep-ph/0008047 · Physical review. E, Statistical physics, plasmas, fluids, and related interdisciplinary topics

Fractal geometry of critical systems

N. G. Antoniou, Yiannis Contoyiannis, F. Κ. Diakonos

Published Sep 1, 2000• 29 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We investigate the geometry of a critical system undergoing a second-order thermal phase transition. Using a local description for the dynamics characterizing the system at the critical point T=T(c), we reveal the formation of clusters with fractal geometry, where the term cluster is used to describe regions with a nonvanishing value of the order parameter. We show that, treating the cluster as an open subsystem of the entire system, new instanton-like configurations dominate the statistical mechanics of the cluster. We study the dependence of the resulting fractal dimension on the embedding dimension and the scaling properties (isothermal critical exponent) of the system. Taking into account the finite-size effects, we are able to calculate the size of the critical cluster in terms of the total size of the system, the critical temperature, and the effective coupling of the long wavelength interaction at the critical point. We also show that the size of the cluster has to be identified with the correlation length at criticality. Finally, within the framework of the mean field approximation, we extend our local considerations to obtain a global description of the system.

DOI
10.1103/physreve.62.3125

Related papers

Fractals at T=Tc due to Instantonlike Configurations

N. G. Antoniou, Yiannis Contoyiannis, F. Κ. Diakonos +1 more

We investigate the geometry of the critical fluctuations for a general system undergoing a thermal second order phase transition. Adopting a generalized effective action for the local description of the fluctuations of the order parameter at the critical point ( ${T\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}T}_{c}$) we show that instantonlike configurations, corresponding to the minima of the effective action functional, build up clusters with fractal geometry characterizing locally the critical fluctuations. The connection between the corresponding (local) fractal dimension and the critical exponents is derived. Possible extension of the local geometry of the system to a global picture is also discussed.

arXiv:hep-ph/9810383•Physical Review Letters•Nov 16, 1998•34 citations

A new fractal mean-field analysis in phase transition

Ismael S. S. Carrasco, H. Lima, Fernando Albuquerque Oliveira

Abstract Understanding phase transitions requires not only identifying order parameters but also characterizing how their correlations behave across scales. By quantifying how fluctuations at distinct spatial or temporal points are related, correlation functions reveal the structural organization of complex systems. In this work, we reexamine the theoretical foundations of these correlations in systems undergoing second-order phase transitions, with emphasis on the Ising model extended to non-integer spatial dimensions. We revisit the hypotesis that, at criticality, the equilibrium dynamics become effectively confined to the fractal edge of spin clusters and redo the analysis using fractional calculus. Within this framework, the fractal dimension that governs the correlations in that subspace is directly related to Fisher’s exponent $$\eta$$ η , which quantifies the singular behavior of the correlation function near criticality. Importantly, this correlation fractal dimension is distinct from the fractal dimension associated with the order parameter. The fractional approach allows us to directly compute the correlation fractal dimension and to establish an explicit geometrical relation connecting the two fractal dimensions. Moreover, the formulation naturally extends to non-integer spatial dimensions, remaining valid below the upper critical dimension and yielding the correct value of Fisher’s exponent $$\eta$$ η for a continuous spatial dimension d . Within this framework, we also provide empirical functions describing how the main critical exponents vary continuously as a function of the space dimension.

arXiv:2511.20846•The European Physical Journal Special Topics•Apr 28, 2026•1 citation

Scaling, fractal dynamics, and critical exponents in the equilibrium phase transition

Adauto F. Souza, H. Lima, A. L. R. Barbosa +1 more

Statistical methods are essential for understanding thermodynamic systems with many degrees of freedom. For systems in equilibrium, a very useful method is that of correlation functions, which establish a correlation between a field phi(x), which depends on the spatial position x, and the same field evaluated at another position, phi(x0). Fisher [Journal of Mathematical Physics 5, 944322 (1964)] introduced the autocorrelation function for fluctuations of the order parameter, which has been an important mathematical tool for understanding second-order phase transitions in equilibrium. However, his analysis is restricted to a Euclidean space of dimension d, and an exponent eta is introduced to correct the spatial behavior of the correlation function at T = Tc. In a recent work, Lima et al. [Phys. Rev. E 110, L062107 (2024)] demonstrated that a modern fractional differential analysis is necessary for a complete description of the correlation function at Tc. In this study, we highlight the deep connection among scaling behavior, critical exponents, and fractal geometry. Our results provide a unified geometric interpretation of critical exponents and fractal dimensions, broadly applicable to thermodynamic phase transitions. However, the approach does not apply to topological phase transitions, which lack local order parameters and the associated scale-invariant fractal geometry. We verify its predictions for several cornerstone thermodynamic models: the Ising, Potts, XY, and Heisenberg systems.

arXiv:2606.20460•Jun 18, 2026•0 citations

Distribution of Fluctuating Fractal Dimensions of Finite Critical Systems

六美 水戸部, Kousuke Yakubo

General form of the probability distribution function (PDF) of the rescaled fractal dimension characterizing spatial structures of local order parameters in finite but large systems near the critical point is derived. To obtain the PDF, we assume that (i) sample-to-sample fluctuations of global order parameters are described by the generalized Gumbel distribution function, which is known to be valid for many of long-range correlated systems such as critical systems and (ii) spatial structures of local order parameters are always fractal at the critical point. From the obtained PDF, it is elucidated that fluctuations of fractal dimensions do not exhibit a universal character in contrast to the case of fluctuating global order parameters. In addition, we perform numerical calculations of the PDF for two-dimensional percolation systems near the critical concentration and confirm that the analytically calculated PDF well describes numerical results. We also discuss the influence of non-fractal critical clusters neglected under the assumption (ii).

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan•Jul 10, 2009•3 citations

Critical behavior of the geometrical spin clusters and interfaces in the two-dimensional thermalized bond Ising model

S Davatolhagh, M Moshfeghian, A A Saberi

The fractal dimensions and the percolation exponents of geometrical spin clusters of like sign at criticality are obtained numerically for an Ising model with temperature dependent annealed bond dilution, also known as the thermalized bond Ising model (TBIM), in two dimensions. For this purpose, a modified Wolff single-cluster Monte Carlo simulation is used to generate equilibrium spin configurations on square lattices in the critical region. A tie-breaking rule is employed to identify nonintersecting spin cluster boundaries along the edges of the dual lattice. The values obtained for the fractal dimensions of the spanning geometrical clusters D c , and their interfaces D I , are in perfect agreement with those reported for the standard two-dimensional ferromagnetic Ising model. Furthermore, the variance of the winding angles results in a diffusivity κ = 3 for the two-dimensional thermalized bond Ising model, thus placing it in the universality class of the regular Ising model. A finite-size scaling analysis of the largest geometrical clusters results in a reliable estimation of the critical percolation exponents for the geometrical clusters in the limit of an infinite lattice size. The percolation exponents thus obtained are also found to be consistent with those reported for the regular Ising model. These consistencies are explained in terms of the Fisher renormalization relations, which express the thermodynamic critical exponents of systems with annealed bond dilution in terms of those of the regular model system.

arXiv:1202.6683•Journal of Statistical Mechanics Theory and Experiment•Feb 21, 2012•2 citations

Equilibrium critical phenomena

Uwe Claus Täuber

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.

Cambridge University Press eBooks•Mar 6, 2014•1 citation
We investigate the geometry of a critical system undergoing a second-order thermal phase transition. Using a local description for the dynamics characterizing the system at the critical point T=T(c), we reveal the formation of clusters with fractal geometry, where the term cluster is used to describe regions with a nonvanishing value of the order parameter. We show that, treating the cluster as an open subsystem of the entire system, new instanton-like configurations dominate the statistical mechanics of the cluster. We study the dependence of the resulting fractal dimension on the embedding dimension and the scaling properties (isothermal critical exponent) of the system. Taking into account the finite-size effects, we are able to calculate the size of the critical cluster in terms of the total size of the system, the critical temperature, and the effective coupling of the long wavelength interaction at the critical point. We also show that the size of the cluster has to be identified with the correlation length at criticality. Finally, within the framework of the mean field approximation, we extend our local considerations to obtain a global description of the system.
We investigate the geometry of the critical fluctuations for a general system undergoing a thermal second order phase transition. Adopting a generalized effective action for the local description of the fluctuations of the order parameter at the critical point ( T=Tc{T\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}T}_{c}T=Tc​) we show that instantonlike configurations, corresponding to the minima of the effective action functional, build up clusters with fractal geometry characterizing locally the critical fluctuations. The connection between the corresponding (local) fractal dimension and the critical exponents is derived. Possible extension of the local geometry of the system to a global picture is also discussed.
Abstract Understanding phase transitions requires not only identifying order parameters but also characterizing how their correlations behave across scales. By quantifying how fluctuations at distinct spatial or temporal points are related, correlation functions reveal the structural organization of complex systems. In this work, we reexamine the theoretical foundations of these correlations in systems undergoing second-order phase transitions, with emphasis on the Ising model extended to non-integer spatial dimensions. We revisit the hypotesis that, at criticality, the equilibrium dynamics become effectively confined to the fractal edge of spin clusters and redo the analysis using fractional calculus. Within this framework, the fractal dimension that governs the correlations in that subspace is directly related to Fisher’s exponent η\etaη η , which quantifies the singular behavior of the correlation function near criticality. Importantly, this correlation fractal dimension is distinct from the fractal dimension associated with the order parameter. The fractional approach allows us to directly compute the correlation fractal dimension and to establish an explicit geometrical relation connecting the two fractal dimensions. Moreover, the formulation naturally extends to non-integer spatial dimensions, remaining valid below the upper critical dimension and yielding the correct value of Fisher’s exponent η\etaη η for a continuous spatial dimension d . Within this framework, we also provide empirical functions describing how the main critical exponents vary continuously as a function of the space dimension.
Statistical methods are essential for understanding thermodynamic systems with many degrees of freedom. For systems in equilibrium, a very useful method is that of correlation functions, which establish a correlation between a field phi(x), which depends on the spatial position x, and the same field evaluated at another position, phi(x0). Fisher [Journal of Mathematical Physics 5, 944322 (1964)] introduced the autocorrelation function for fluctuations of the order parameter, which has been an important mathematical tool for understanding second-order phase transitions in equilibrium. However, his analysis is restricted to a Euclidean space of dimension d, and an exponent eta is introduced to correct the spatial behavior of the correlation function at T = Tc. In a recent work, Lima et al. [Phys. Rev. E 110, L062107 (2024)] demonstrated that a modern fractional differential analysis is necessary for a complete description of the correlation function at Tc. In this study, we highlight the deep connection among scaling behavior, critical exponents, and fractal geometry. Our results provide a unified geometric interpretation of critical exponents and fractal dimensions, broadly applicable to thermodynamic phase transitions. However, the approach does not apply to topological phase transitions, which lack local order parameters and the associated scale-invariant fractal geometry. We verify its predictions for several cornerstone thermodynamic models: the Ising, Potts, XY, and Heisenberg systems.
General form of the probability distribution function (PDF) of the rescaled fractal dimension characterizing spatial structures of local order parameters in finite but large systems near the critical point is derived. To obtain the PDF, we assume that (i) sample-to-sample fluctuations of global order parameters are described by the generalized Gumbel distribution function, which is known to be valid for many of long-range correlated systems such as critical systems and (ii) spatial structures of local order parameters are always fractal at the critical point. From the obtained PDF, it is elucidated that fluctuations of fractal dimensions do not exhibit a universal character in contrast to the case of fluctuating global order parameters. In addition, we perform numerical calculations of the PDF for two-dimensional percolation systems near the critical concentration and confirm that the analytically calculated PDF well describes numerical results. We also discuss the influence of non-fractal critical clusters neglected under the assumption (ii).
The fractal dimensions and the percolation exponents of geometrical spin clusters of like sign at criticality are obtained numerically for an Ising model with temperature dependent annealed bond dilution, also known as the thermalized bond Ising model (TBIM), in two dimensions. For this purpose, a modified Wolff single-cluster Monte Carlo simulation is used to generate equilibrium spin configurations on square lattices in the critical region. A tie-breaking rule is employed to identify nonintersecting spin cluster boundaries along the edges of the dual lattice. The values obtained for the fractal dimensions of the spanning geometrical clusters D c , and their interfaces D I , are in perfect agreement with those reported for the standard two-dimensional ferromagnetic Ising model. Furthermore, the variance of the winding angles results in a diffusivity κ = 3 for the two-dimensional thermalized bond Ising model, thus placing it in the universality class of the regular Ising model. A finite-size scaling analysis of the largest geometrical clusters results in a reliable estimation of the critical percolation exponents for the geometrical clusters in the limit of an infinite lattice size. The percolation exponents thus obtained are also found to be consistent with those reported for the regular Ising model. These consistencies are explained in terms of the Fisher renormalization relations, which express the thermodynamic critical exponents of systems with annealed bond dilution in terms of those of the regular model system.
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.