Continuum limit | EPFL Graph Search

In mathematical physics and mathematics, the continuum limit or scaling limit of a lattice model refers to its behaviour in the limit as the lattice spacing goes to zero. It is often useful to use lattice models to approximate real-world processes, such as Brownian motion. Indeed, according to Donsker's theorem, the discrete random walk would, in the scaling limit, approach the true Brownian motion. Terminology The term continuum limit mostly finds use in the physical sciences, often in reference to models of aspects of quantum physics, while the term scaling limit is more common in mathematical use. Application in quantum field theory A lattice model that approximates a continuum quantum field theory in the limit as the lattice spacing goes to zero may correspond to finding a second order phase transition of the model. This is the scaling limit of the model. See also

Universality classes

Critical values in an anisotropic percolation on $\mathbb{Z}^2$

Hao Xue

In this thesis, we consider an anisotropic finite-range bond percolation model on

\mathbb{Z}^2

. On each horizontal layer

\{(x,i):x\in\mathbb{Z}\}

for

i\in\mathbb{Z}

, we have edges

\langle(x,i),(y,i)\rangle

for

1\leq|x-y|\leq N

with

N\in\mathbb{N}

. There are also vertical edges connecting two nearest neighbor vertices on distinct layers

\langle(x,i),(x,i+1)\rangle

for

x,i\in\mathbb{Z}

. On this graph, we consider the following anisotropic percolation model: horizontal edges are open with probability

\lambda/(2N)

with

\lambda\geq 1

, while vertical edges are open with probability

\epsilon

to be suitably tuned as

N

grows to infinity. This question is motivated by a result on the analogous layered ferromagnetic Ising model at mean field critical temperature. We first deal with the critical case when

\lambda=1

. If

\epsilon=\kappa N^{-2/5}

, we see a phase transition in

\kappa

: positive and finite constants

C_1,C_2

exist so that there is no percolation if

\kappaC_2

. The derivation of the scaling limit is inspired by works on the long range contact process. The proof relies on the analysis of the scaling limit of the critical branching random walk that dominates the growth process restricted to each horizontal layer and a careful analysis of the true horizontal growth process, which is interesting by itself. A renormalization argument is used for the percolative regime. We then deal with the supercritical case when

\lambda>1

. If

\epsilon=e^{-\kappa N}

, we can also see a phase transition in

\kappa

. The horizontal and vertical edges can be discovered through subordinate process in each regime. The proof is based on the analysis of supercritical branching random walk but several levels of attritions are introduced to make sure the independent structure. The comparison between our original percolation and the percolation on the inhomogeneous square lattice is used in the renormalization scheme.

EPFL2021

Imaginary Multiplicative Chaos: Moments, Regularity And Connections To The Ising Model

Janne Matias Junnila

In this article we study imaginary Gaussian multiplicative chaos-namely a family of random generalized functions which can formally be written as e(iX(x)), where X is a log-correlated real-valued Gaussian field on R-d, that is, it has a logarithmic singularity on the diagonal of its covariance. We study basic analytic properties of these random generalized functions, such as what spaces of distributions these objects live in, along with their basic stochastic properties, such as moment and tail estimates. After this, we discuss connections between imaginary multiplicative chaos and the critical planar Ising model, namely that the scaling limit of the spin field of the critical planar XOR-Ising model can be expressed in terms of the cosine of the Gaussian free field, that is, the real part of an imaginary multiplicative chaos distribution. Moreover, if one adds a magnetic perturbation to the XOR-Ising model, then the scaling limit of the spin field can be expressed in terms of the cosine of the sine-Gordon field, which can also be viewed as the real part of an imaginary multiplicative chaos distribution. The first sections of the article have been written in the style of a review, and we hope that the text will also serve as an introduction to imaginary chaos for an uninitiated reader.

INST MATHEMATICAL STATISTICS2020

Ising Model and Field Theory: Lattice Local Fields and Massive Scaling Limit

Sung Chul Park

This thesis is devoted to the study of the local fields in the Ising model. The scaling limit of the critical Ising model is conjecturally described by Conformal Field Theory. The explicit predictions for the building blocks of the continuum theory (spin and energy density) have been rigorously established [HoSm13, CHI15]. We study how the field-theoretic description of these random fields extends beyond the critical regime of the model. Concretely, the thesis consists of two parts: The first part studies the behaviour of lattice local fields in the critical Ising model. A lattice local field is a function of a finite number of spins at microscopic distances from a given point. We study one-point functions of these fields (in particular, their asymptotics under scaling limit and conformal invariance). Our analysis, based on discrete complex analysis methods, results in explicit computations which are of interest in applications (e.g. [HKV17]). The second part considers the behaviour of the massive spin field. In the subcritical massive scaling limit regime first considered by Wu, McCoy, Tracy, and Barouch [WMTB76], we show that the correlations of the massive spin field in a bounded domain have a scaling limit. Furthermore, to this end we generalise the notions and methods of discrete complex analysis in the critical case to the massive regime, and give a new derivation of the formula for the two-point correlation in the full plane in terms of a Painlevé III transcendent.

EPFL2019

Critical values in an anisotropic percolation on $\mathbb{Z}^2$

Hao Xue

In this thesis, we consider an anisotropic finite-range bond percolation model on

\mathbb{Z}^2

. On each horizontal layer

\{(x,i):x\in\mathbb{Z}\}

for

i\in\mathbb{Z}

, we have edges

\langle(x,i),(y,i)\rangle

for

1\leq|x-y|\leq N

with

N\in\mathbb{N}

. There are also vertical edges connecting two nearest neighbor vertices on distinct layers

\langle(x,i),(x,i+1)\rangle

for

x,i\in\mathbb{Z}

. On this graph, we consider the following anisotropic percolation model: horizontal edges are open with probability

\lambda/(2N)

with

\lambda\geq 1

, while vertical edges are open with probability

\epsilon

to be suitably tuned as

N

grows to infinity. This question is motivated by a result on the analogous layered ferromagnetic Ising model at mean field critical temperature. We first deal with the critical case when

\lambda=1

. If

\epsilon=\kappa N^{-2/5}

, we see a phase transition in

\kappa

: positive and finite constants

C_1,C_2

exist so that there is no percolation if

\kappaC_2

\lambda>1

. If

\epsilon=e^{-\kappa N}

, we can also see a phase transition in

\kappa

EPFL2021