Critical exponents and equation of state from series summation

Abstract

Abstract Universal quantities near the phase transition of O(N) symmetric vector models, can be determined, in the framework of the (f2 )2 field theory, and the corresponding renormalization group (RG), in the form of perturbative series. The O(N) symmetric field theories describe, in particular for N = 0, the universal properties of the statistics of long polymers, for N = 1, the liquid–vapour transition, for N = 2, superfluid helium transition, and so on. Universal quantities have been calculated within two different schemes, the Wilson-Fisher ϵ = 4 − d expansion, and perturbative expansion at fixed dimensions 2 and 3 (as suggested by Parisi). In both cases, the series are divergent, and the expansion parameters are not small. In fixed dimensions smaller than 4, the series are proven to be Borel summable. For the ϵ expansion, there are reasons that the property is equally true, but a proof is lacking. With this assumption, in both cases, although the series are divergent, they define unique functions. Since the expansion parameters are not small, summation methods are then required to determine these functions. A specific summation method, based on a parametric Borel transformation and mapping, in which the knowledge of the large order behaviour has been incorporated, has been successfully applied to the series, and has led to a precise evaluation of critical exponents and other universal quantities.