Solution of Plane Ising Lattices by the Pfaffian Method

Abstract

The partition function for the Ising problem for a general class of plane lattices is evaluated exactly using the Pfaffian method. A classification of plane lattices in terms of basic lattices with vertices decorated by sublattices is given, and the most general class which can be solved by the Pfaffian method described. The solutions given in this paper are for the special case when neighbouring lattice points of a basic rectangular lattice are connected by single bonds only. All of the exact solutions known so far are obtained as special cases. The critical points are defined as singularities of an analytic function and equations to determine their location are found. The derivatives of the partition function are evaluated in terms of elliptic integrals.