Generalized boundary condition, free energies of six-vertex models and fractal dimension

TL;DR

This paper explores how boundary conditions influence free energies in six-vertex models, revealing their classification via fractal structures and establishing a link between fractal dimensions and transfer matrix eigenvalues.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of n-equivalence for boundary conditions and connects fractal geometry with free energy calculations in six-vertex models.

Findings

Free energies depend on boundary conditions and are classified by fractal structures.

Islands of configurations exhibit fractal structures mapped to the real axis.

Fractal dimensions relate to the transfer matrix's maximum eigenvalue.

Abstract

The structures of the configuration space of the six-vertex models with various boundaries and boundary conditions are investigated, and it is derived that the free energies depend on the boundary conditions, and that they are classified by the fractal structures. The "n-equivalences" of the boundary conditions are defined with a property that the models with n-equivalent boundary conditions result in the identical free energy. The configurations which satisfy the six-vertex restriction are classified, through the n-equivalences, into sets of configurations called islands. It is derived that each island shows a fractal structure when it is mapped to the real axis. Each free energy is expressed by the weighted fractal dimension (multi-fractal dimension) of the island. The fractal dimension of the island has a strict relation with the maximum eigenvalue of the corresponding block element of the transfer matrix. It is also found that the fractal dimensions of islands take the absolute maximum when the boundary is "alternative"; in this case, the free energy equals to the solution obtained by Lieb and Sutherland.