The Lee-Yang theory of equilibrium and nonequilibrium phase transitions

TL;DR

This paper reviews the Lee-Yang theory's application to both equilibrium and nonequilibrium phase transitions, demonstrating its effectiveness in identifying and classifying phase transitions in various systems.

Contribution

It extends the Lee-Yang theory framework to nonequilibrium systems, providing a pedagogical overview and explicit model analyses.

Findings

Lee-Yang theory can locate phase transitions in nonequilibrium steady states

The approach classifies different types of phase transitions

Explicit models illustrate the theory's applicability

Abstract

We present a pedagogical account of the Lee-Yang theory of equilibrium phase transitions and review recent advances in applying this theory to nonequilibrium systems. Through both general considerations and explicit studies of specific models, we show that the Lee-Yang approach can be used to locate and classify phase transitions in nonequilibrium steady states.