The theory of Finite Size Scaling describes a build-up of the bulk properties when a small system is increased in size. This description is particularly important in strongly correlated systems where critical fluctuations develop with increasing system size, including phase transition points, polymer conformations. Since numerical computer simulations are always done with finite samples, they rely on the Finite Size Scaling theory for data extrapolation and analysis. With the advent of large scale computing in recent years, the use of the size-scaling methods has become increasingly important.

The contributions in the book are devoted to the memory of Michael E Fisher, and hence include many personal memories from people whose work was influenced by him. Also, the book is a collection of articles from leaders in the field of phase transitions and critical phenomena, to celebrate 50 years of the renormalization group and the 1972 paper by Wilson and Fisher. Many of the articles review, in tutorial form, the progress in the fields of phase transitions and the renormalization group.

Theoretical physics is a cornerstone of modern physics and provides a foundation for all modern quantitative science. It aims to describe all natural phenomena using mathematical theories and models, and in consequence develops our understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe. This books offers an overview of major areas covering the recent developments in modern theoretical physics. Each chapter introduces a new key topic and develops the discussion in a self-contained manner. At the same time the selected topics have common themes running throughout the book, which connect the independent discussions. The main themes are renormalization group, fixed points, universality, and continuum limit, which open and conclude the work. The development of modern theoretical physics has required important concepts and novel mathematical tools, examples discussed in the book include path and field integrals, the notion of effective quantum or statistical field theories, gauge theories, and the mathematical structure at the basis of the interactions in fundamental particle physics, including quantization problems and anomalies, stochastic dynamical equations, and summation of perturbative series.

A comprehensive, 1998 account of the practical aspects and pitfalls of the applications of fractal modelling in the physical sciences.

This thesis develops a nested sampling algorithm into a black box tool for directly calculating the partition function, and thus the complete phase diagram of a material, from the interatomic potential energy function. It represents a significant step forward in our ability to accurately describe the finite temperature properties of materials. In principle, the macroscopic phases of matter are related to the microscopic interactions of atoms by statistical mechanics and the partition function. In practice, direct calculation of the partition function has proved infeasible for realistic models of atomic interactions, even with modern atomistic simulation methods. The thesis also shows how the output of nested sampling calculations can be processed to calculate the complete PVT (pressure–volume–temperature) equation of state for a material, and applies the nested sampling algorithm to calculate the pressure–temperature phase diagrams of aluminium and a model binary alloy.

This book describes computational methods used in theoretical physics with emphasis on condensed matter applications.

The contribution of computer simulation studies to our understanding of proper ties of a wide range of condensed-matter systems is now well established. The Center for Simulational Physics has been hosting annual workshops with the in tent of bringing together some of the experienced practitioners in the field, as well as relative newcomers in the field, to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas and recent results. This year's workshop, the fourth in the series, was held at the University of Georgia, February 18-22, 1991. These proceedings are a record of the workshop and are published with the goal of timely dissemination of the papers to a wider audience. The proceedings are divided into three parts. The first part contains invited papers which deal with simulational studies of classical systems and includes an introduction to some new simulation techniques and special purpose comput ers as well. A separate section of the proceedings is devoted to invited papers on quantum systems including new results for strongly correlated electron and quantum spin models believed to be important for the description of high-T c superconductors. The contributed presentations comprise the final chapter.