Questions tagged [statistical-physics]
The study of physical systems using probabilistic reasoning, especially relating small-scale classical mechanics to large-scale thermodynamics.
186
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Has the mixture of forward and backward finite difference existed?
Given a function $ f(x) $, there are forward and backward finite differencs, whose definitions are given in the following. By forward one, we mean $ \Delta f(x) = f(x+d)- f(x) $, $(d>0)$; and by ...
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What is the justification for using Wiener integrals to integrate over a space of differentiable functions?
In the literature on stiff/semiflexible polymer chains modelled as continuous chains rather than as discrete links, the partition function (among other things) is taken to be an integral over the ...
2
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0
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Harish-Chandra–Itzykson–Zuber integral with two terms
We know
$$
\int \mathcal{D}U \exp(\mathrm{Tr}(AUBU^*))
$$
can be computed by Harish-Chandra–Itzykson–Zuber(HCIZ) integral. I am wondering whether it is possible to compute
$$
I=\int \mathcal{D}U \exp(\...
5
votes
2
answers
133
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Placing pins on a Galton board to approximate an arbitrary distribution
Inspired by this reddit post: https://old.reddit.com/r/math/comments/tv3cbg/how_do_you_unbell_curve_a_galtonplinko_board/
The Nth Galton Board, G(N), is a triangular lattice of pegs of height N-1.
...
10
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2
answers
306
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The origin of the natural base in statistical mechanics
In modern treatments of statistical mechanics, the natural base is conventionally used for the Gibbs and Boltzmann entropy without careful justification. While I am aware that the properties of the ...
3
votes
1
answer
114
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Binary cellular automata: How slowly can an eroder remove $1$'s?
Consider some deterministic, monotonic, eroding binary cellular automata on some lattice $\mathbb{Z}^d$, and consider the set of initial states $I(L)$ in which all of the vertices are $0$ except for ...
38
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4
answers
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Interesting and surprising applications of the Ising Model
One of the most famous models in physics is the Ising model, invented by Wilhelm Lenz as a PhD problem to his student Ernst Ising. The one-dimensional version of it was solved in Ising's thesis in ...
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1
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115
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Generalising results on superfluid Kubo formulas
In a 2014 article by Chapman, Hoyos and Oz, the authors study non-equilibrium fluid dynamics and describe a method for deriving Kubo formulas for thermal transport coefficients of superfluids (the ...
7
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130
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Roots of a family of polynomials forming shapes
Let $f$ be a smooth and strictly concave function on $[0,1]$, where $f(0)=f(1)=0$.
Let $F_n(x)=\underset{k=0}{\overset{n} \sum } \exp(nf(\frac kn))x^k$.
The roots of $F_n$ seems to form "shapes&...
8
votes
1
answer
157
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From the conceptual idea of the RG to its actual implementation
Everytime I want to understand a little more about the ideas behind Renormalization Group techniques, I get troubled by a gap between the general picture one usually presents (e.g. in books or ...
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1
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85
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An inequality for a "generalised random energy model"
Let, for all $i, j$, $Z_{i,j}$ be a standard normal, chosen iid. For each $n\geq 1, k\geq2$, define the Hamiltonian $H_{n,k}: [k]^n \to \mathbb{R}$ by
$$(j_1,j_2,\ldots,j_n) \mapsto \sum_{i=1}^n Z_{i, ...
1
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1
answer
92
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Is Toom's rule robust under local but non-on-site noise?
Toom's rule is a 2-dimensional cellular automaton which is known to have two distinct stationary measures in the thermodynamic limit, even after small perturbations to a probabilistic cellular ...
1
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0
answers
78
views
In percolation on a lattice, how is "infected" status correlated for points in a region around the origin?
Consider independent bond percolation on $\mathbb{Z}^2$, with $p>p_c$ so that the process is supercritical. For any site $x$ let $Y_x$ be the indicator of $x$ belonging to the infinite open cluster....
4
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2
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455
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A relation between the second moment of a distribution and one of its particular probability
I had recently posted a question here: To prove a relation involving a probability distribution
The relations quoted in the above question are used extensively in fluid mechanics and many other fields,...
1
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1
answer
170
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To prove a relation involving a probability distribution
I'm reading a book and have encountered a relation which seems to me to be impossible to prove, I would like to be sure if this is the case. The author gives a probability function as
$$p_n = \frac{e^...
8
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1
answer
364
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Innovations in number theory leading to breakthroughs in statistical mechanics
Might there be a good reference on the interaction of number theory with statistical physics? I am particularly interested in innovations in number theory that have led to breakthroughs in statistical ...
3
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1
answer
338
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Use statistical physics ideas ("replica trick") to compute asymptotic value of $\inf_{\|w\| \le r} (1/n)\|Xw-y\|^2$ for random $X$ and $y$
I'm trying to get my head around the "replica trick" and it's mathematically rigorous formulations (due to Talagrand, Parchenko, etc.). I was wondering to myself that a solution or insight ...
0
votes
1
answer
62
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Simplification on the estimation on error of the ratio of 2 random variables
Let $Z=\dfrac{X}{Y}$ the ratio of 2 random variables.
Distribution of $Z=\dfrac{X}{Y}$
Consider the case of two independent normal variables $X$ and $Y$ with strictly positive means and variances $\...
4
votes
1
answer
297
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Bochner-Minlos for moment-generating functions?
It is well-known that the Bochner-Minlos theorem characterises measures on duals of nuclear spaces by their characteristic functions. Is there a similar version for moment-generating functions?
I have ...
1
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1
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228
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in Euclidean space defined by multivariate normal distribution, what fraction of points falls within n-ball (centered at origin) tangent to point p?
In a Euclidean space defined by the multivariate normal distribution, what fraction of all points falls within or are tangent to (as opposed to falling outside of) the n-sphere whose center is at the ...
2
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0
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51
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Entropy per site of quantum spin chain
It’s fork lore that von Neumann entropy (and free energy) grows linearly with respect to the size of a quantum system. Is there a rigorous demonstration in the toy model of a quantum spin chain with (...
2
votes
1
answer
199
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Find a way to apply the MLE on Fisher or Covariance matrix to make cross-correlations
I have 2 Fisher matrixes which represent information for the same variables (I mean columns/rows represent the same parameters in the 2 matrixes).
Now I would like to make the cross-correlations ...
2
votes
2
answers
211
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What's the current state of cluster expansions?
A classic reference on cluster expansions in mathematical physics (specially statistical mechanics) is these lecture notes by professor Brydges for a les Houches course in 1984 on the mentioned topic. ...
12
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2
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608
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How are Clifford algebras and spinors used to study the Ising model?
I've heard Clifford algebras and spinors are useful tools to study the Ising model, but I've never find any good discussion on this matter. Also, as far as I know, in the original solutions of the 2-D ...
0
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0
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81
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Generalized Ising Model
I am in very trouble with a particular expression. I leave the original pages in order to have everything available and what I am goin to leave are the first pages of nine chapter of Non Perturbative ...
10
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1
answer
459
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Chebyshev's other inequality
It is a simple fact, the granddaddy of correlation inequalities that if $f,g$ are monotone functions on $[0,1]$ then $$\int_0^1 f(x)g(x) dx \ge \int_0^1 f(x) dx \int_0^1 g(x) dx.$$ In their famous ...
6
votes
1
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249
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How can one recover/obtain information from the renormalization group procedure?
I know the basic idea behind the renormalization group approach as it is used in mathematical physics to study both QFT and statistical mechanics. However, I have trouble understanding how can one ...
9
votes
1
answer
644
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Representation theory of $\operatorname{SO}(n)$ for large $n$
$\DeclareMathOperator{\SO}{\operatorname{SO}}\DeclareMathOperator{\SU}{\operatorname{SU}}$Background: In the quantum field theory literature people commonly consider "expansions" of $\SO(n)$ ...
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Random sequential adsorption of rectangles with random aspect ratio
Jian-Sheng Wang, in his 1994 article A fast algorithm for random sequential adsorption of discs (arXiv link), considered deposition only on (small) squares which are not fully covered by the excluded ...
2
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1
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106
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GKS inequality with boundary condition
I want to know whether the following version of GKS inequality with boundary condition for Ising model hold or not. Consider Ising model on $\mathbb{Z}^d$ and $\varnothing \neq A\subset \Lambda_1 \...
4
votes
2
answers
579
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What are applications of Jones polynomial on von Neumann algebras?
I have read according list of below papers a basic connection between Jones polynomial and statistical mechanics is that the Kauffman bracket or Kauffman polynomial a polynomial invariant of knots is ...
1
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0
answers
34
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How to use the mixed normal distribution to construct a proper statistics?
For a random vector $\xi_n \in \mathbb{R}^p$, if $\xi_n \rightarrow_d N(\mu, \Sigma)$, we can construct
\begin{equation*}
\Psi := \xi_n^{\top} \widehat{\Sigma}^{-1} \xi_n
\end{equation*}
for ...
1
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1
answer
169
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Understanding the wrapping criterion in percolation theory
Context:
When studying percolation in finite sized systems, there exist various definitions and criteria for determining when a given system is percolating, i.e., given a definition for connectivity, ...
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0
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68
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Proving that a model exhibits either a first or second order phase transition
Motivating example:
Take the (wired) random cluster model $\phi^1_{p,q}$ with parameter $q$ (see http://arxiv.org/abs/1707.00520 for an introduction).
It is now known on $\mathbb{Z}^2$ that it has a ...
7
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2
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955
views
Is $C^{*}$-algebra the most modern way to study QFT?
I am not an expert on either QFT or $C^{*}$-algebras, but I'm trying to learn the basics of QFT. In all books/papers and other materials that I know, QFT is studied mainly using a lot of functional ...
4
votes
1
answer
154
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What is the role of Gibbs states with free boundary conditions in the theory of Gibbs measure?
This is actually a more elaborated version of a previous question of mine, which is now deleted. First, some quick notations:
(1) $\Omega_{0} := \{-1,1\}$ and $\mathcal{F}_{0} := 2^{\Omega_{0}}$ are, ...
5
votes
2
answers
466
views
Explanation for why an ideal fluid doesn't have increasing entropy?
The equations of motion for a very simple ideal fluid (specifically a calorically perfect, monatomic, ideal gas) are \begin{align*}\dot{\rho}+\nabla \cdot (\rho u)=0 \;&\text{(mass conservation)} \...
64
votes
3
answers
5k
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Should water at the scale of a cell feel more like tar?
The Navier-Stokes equations are as follows,
$$\dot{u}+(u\cdot \nabla ) u +\nu \nabla^2 u =\nabla p$$
where $u$ is the velocity field, $\nu$ is the viscosity, and $p$ is the pressure.
Some elementary ...
1
vote
1
answer
230
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What is the definition of the thermodynamic limit of a thermodynamic quantity?
Statistical mechanics is all about taking thermodynamic limits and, as far as I know, there are more than one way to define such limits. Consider the following theorem:
Theorem: In the thermodynamic ...
1
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0
answers
96
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Gibbs distribution as a pushfoward
Let $\Omega_{0}:=\{-1,1\}$ be a single spin space. If $\Lambda \subset \mathbb{Z}^{d}$ is a fixed finite set, take $\mathcal{F}_{0}$ to be the $\sigma$-algebra $2^{\Omega_{0}}$ on $\Omega_{0}$. We ...
4
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164
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Examples of measures that satisfy FKG, but not the FKG lattice condition
Let a percolation measure be a measure on $\{0,1\}^n$. We have a natural partial order on $\{0,1\}^n$ given by comparing all coordinates. An event $A$ is called increasing if for all $ \omega \in A $ ...
5
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476
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A set of questions on continuous Gaussian Free Fields (GFF)
As I said in my previous posts, I'm trying to teach myself some rigorous statistical mechanics/statistical field theory and I'm primarily interested in $\varphi^{4}$, but I know that the absense of ...
14
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2
answers
814
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Good overviews on $\phi^{4}$-field theory?
I'm looking for nice overviews on $\phi^{4}$-field theory from the mathematical-physics point of view. To be a little more specific, here are some topics I'd like to read about:
(1) What are the ...
10
votes
0
answers
248
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Is there a general theory for Wilsonian renormalization?
I know that Wilson's renormalization group is not a theory per se and that there are many ways to implement it in a given system. Also, renormalization group techniques are applied in a large number ...
3
votes
1
answer
188
views
Path integrals on statistical mechanics
In (rigorous) statistical mechanics and statistical field theory one is usually concerned in giving meaning to integrals of the form:
\begin{eqnarray}
\langle \mathcal{O}\rangle = \frac{1}{Z}\int D\...
6
votes
1
answer
388
views
Reformulation - Construction of thermodynamic limit for GFF
I've posted a question about the thermodynamic limit for Gaussian Free Fields (GFF) a couple days ago and I haven't got any answers yet but I kept thinking about it and I thought it would be better to ...
1
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1
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75
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Convergence of probability measures which (asymptotically) concentrate along a submanifold
Let $V : (-1, 1)^d \to \mathbf{R}_+$ be a smooth function, and for $\beta > 0$, define
\begin{align}
P_\beta ( dx ) &= \exp \left( - \beta V ( x ) \right) / z (\beta) \, dx\\
z (\beta) &= \...
4
votes
1
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Effective action, partition function and the renormalization group
Mayer expansions and the Hamilton–Jacobi equation by D. Brydges and T. Kennedy begins mentioning that many problems in statistical mechanics and QFT center on the analysis of integrals of the form:
\...
5
votes
1
answer
247
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Renormalization group strategies
Before introducing block spin transformations in chapter four of Random Walks, Critical Phenomena and Triviality in Quantum Field Theory, the authors state the following:
"In this chapter we sketch ...
1
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0
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101
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Spins in classical statistical mechanics
I'm reading Kupiainen's notes on the renormalization group and also caught my attention. Actually, this is something that often causes my some confusion. On page 43, in the section about Ginzburg-...