Polynomial-time approximation algorithms for the ising model

Abstract

This paper is concerned with computational solutions to some classical combinatorial problems in statistical physics. These problems stem from the Ising model, which has been the focus of much attention in the physics and mathematics communities since it was first introduced by Lenz [14] and Ising [7] in the early 1920s. We will not present a detailed historical account here: a very readable survey is given by Cipra [2], while Welsh [18] sets the Ising model in the context of other combinatorial problems in statistical physics.