On the prevalence of non-Gibbsian states in mathematical physics

Gibbs measures are the main object of study in equilibrium statistical mechanics, and are used in many other contexts, including dynamical systems and ergodic theory, and spatial statistics. However, in a large number of natural instances one encounters measures that are not of Gibbsian form. We present here a number of examples of such non-Gibbsian measures, and discuss some of the underlying mathematical and physical issues to which they gave rise

On the Variational Principle for Generalized Gibbs Measures

We present a novel approach to establishing the variational principle for Gibbs and generalized (weak and almost) Gibbs states. Limitations of a thermodynamical formalism for generalized Gibbs states will be discussed. A new class of intuitively weak Gibbs measures is introduced, and a typical example is studied. Finally, we present a new example of a non-Gibbsian measure arising from an industrial application.Comment: To appear in Markov Processes and Related Fields, Proceedings workshop Gibbs-nonGibb

Discrete approximations to vector spin models

We strengthen a result of two of us on the existence of effective interactions for discretised continuous-spin models. We also point out that such an interaction cannot exist at very low temperatures. Moreover, we compare two ways of discretising continuous-spin models, and show that, except for very low temperatures, they behave similarly in two dimensions. We also discuss some possibilities in higher dimensions.Comment: 12 page

Comment on: Critical behavior on the spin diluted 2D Ising model: A grand ensemble approach, by R. Kuehn

We point out that the "disorder potential" employed in the grand ensemble approach is ill-defined in considerable generality.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev. Let

First-order transitions for very nonlinear sigma models

In this contribution we discuss the occurrence of first-order transitions in temperature in various short-range lattice models with a rotation symmetry. Such transitions turn out to be widespread under the condition that the interaction potentials are sufficiently nonlinear.Comment: Contribution to the Dublin John Lewis memorial meetin

Clarification of the Bootstrap Percolation Paradox

We study the onset of the bootstrap percolation transition as a model of generalized dynamical arrest. We develop a new importance-sampling procedure in simulation, based on rare events around "holes", that enables us to access bootstrap lengths beyond those previously studied. By framing a new theory in terms of paths or processes that lead to emptying of the lattice we are able to develop systematic corrections to the existing theory, and compare them to simulations. Thereby, for the first time in the literature, it is possible to obtain credible comparisons between theory and simulation in the accessible density range.Comment: 4 pages with 3 figure

First-order transitions for n-vector models in two and more dimensions; rigorous proof

We prove that various SO(n)-invariant n-vector models with interactions which have a deep and narrow enough minimum have a first-order transition in the temperature. The result holds in dimension two or more, and is independent on the nature of the low-temperature phase.Comment: late

Gibbs-non-Gibbs transitions via large deviations: computable examples

We give new and explicitly computable examples of Gibbs-non-Gibbs transitions of mean-field type, using the large deviation approach introduced in [4]. These examples include Brownian motion with small variance and related diffusion processes, such as the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process, as well as birth and death processes. We show for a large class of initial measures and diffusive dynamics both short-time conservation of Gibbsianness and dynamical Gibbs-non-Gibbs transitions

A symmetry group of a Thue-Morse quasicrystal

We present a method of coding general self-similar structures. In particular, we construct a symmetry group of a one-dimensional Thue-Morse quasicrystal, i.e., of a nonperiodic ground state of a certain translation-invariant, exponentially decaying interaction.Comment: 6 pages, Late

Variational description of Gibbs-non-Gibbs dynamical transitions for the Curie-Weiss model

We perform a detailed study of Gibbs-non-Gibbs transitions for the Curie-Weiss model subject to independent spin-flip dynamics ("infinite-temperature" dynamics). We show that, in this setup, the program outlined in van Enter, Fern\'andez, den Hollander and Redig can be fully completed, namely that Gibbs-non-Gibbs transitions are equivalent to bifurcations in the set of global minima of the large-deviation rate function for the trajectories of the magnetization conditioned on their endpoint. As a consequence, we show that the time-evolved model is non-Gibbs if and only if this set is not a singleton for some value of the final magnetization. A detailed description of the possible scenarios of bifurcation is given, leading to a full characterization of passages from Gibbs to non-Gibbs -and vice versa- with sharp transition times (under the dynamics Gibbsianness can be lost and can be recovered). Our analysis expands the work of Ermolaev and Kulske who considered zero magnetic field and finite-temperature spin-flip dynamics. We consider both zero and non-zero magnetic field but restricted to infinite-temperature spin-flip dynamics. Our results reveal an interesting dependence on the interaction parameters, including the presence of forbidden regions for the optimal trajectories and the possible occurrence of overshoots and undershoots in the optimal trajectories. The numerical plots provided are obtained with the help of MATHEMATICA.Comment: Key words and phrases: Curie-Weiss model, spin-flip dynamics, Gibbs vs. non-Gibbs, dynamical transition, large deviations, action integral, bifurcation of rate functio