Monomer-dimer model in two-dimensional rectangular lattices with fixed dimer density

TL;DR

This paper uses exact computational methods to analyze the monomer-dimer model on 2D rectangular lattices, revealing a logarithmic correction in free energy and providing highly accurate free energy values across various densities.

Contribution

It introduces an exact computational approach to determine free energy in the monomer-dimer model, identifying a universal logarithmic correction term and calculating the extit{monomer-dimer} constant.

Findings

Logarithmic correction term with coefficient -1/2 in finite-size free energy.

Highly accurate free energy values for various dimer densities.

Identification of the extit{monomer-dimer} constant at approximately 0.663.

Abstract

The classical monomer-dimer model in two-dimensional lattices has been shown to belong to the \emph{``#P-complete''} class, which indicates the problem is computationally ``intractable''. We use exact computational method to investigate the number of ways to arrange dimers on $m \times n$ two-dimensional rectangular lattice strips with fixed dimer density $\rho$. For any dimer density $0 < \rho < 1$, we find a logarithmic correction term in the finite-size correction of the free energy per lattice site. The coefficient of the logarithmic correction term is exactly -1/2. This logarithmic correction term is explained by the newly developed asymptotic theory of Pemantle and Wilson. The sequence of the free energy of lattice strips with cylinder boundary condition converges so fast that very accurate free energy $f_2(\rho)$ for large lattices can be obtained. For example, for a half-filled lattice, $f_2(1/2) = 0.633195588930$, while $f_2(1/4) = 0.4413453753046$ and $f_2(3/4) = 0.64039026$. For $\rho < 0.65$, $f_2(\rho)$ is accurate at least to 10 decimal digits. The function $f_2(\rho)$ reaches the maximum value $f_2(\rho^*) = 0.662798972834$ at $\rho^* = 0.6381231$, with 11 correct digits. This is also the \md constant for two-dimensional rectangular lattices. The asymptotic expressions of free energy near close packing are investigated for finite and infinite lattice widths. For lattices with finite width, dependence on the parity of the lattice width is found. For infinite lattices, the data support the functional form obtained previously through series expansions.