The renormalization group: critical phenomena and the Kondo problem

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1975 · Rev. Mod. Phys., v. 47, no. 4, pp. 773-840

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.47.773· OSTI ID:4153936

Wilson, K G

Several topics involving renormalization group ideas are reviewed. The solution of the s-wave Kondo Hamiltonian, describing a single magnetic impurity in a nonmagnetic metal, is explained in detail. ''Block spin'' methods, applied to the two dimensional Ising model, are explained. A relatively short review of basic renormalization group ideas is given, mainly in the context of critical phenomena. The relationship of the modern renormalization group to the older problems of divergences in statistical mechanics and field theory and field theoretic renormalization is discussed. The special case of ''marginal variables'' is discussed in detail, along with the relationship of the modern renormalization group to its original formulation by Gell-Mann and Low and others.

• Research Organization: Laboratory of Nuclear Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-33-004569
• OSTI ID: 4153936
• Journal Information: Rev. Mod. Phys., v. 47, no. 4, pp. 773-840, Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 30-JUN-76
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

N76200* -Physics (Theoretical)-Quantum Field Theories
N76100 -Physics (Theoretical)-General
641300*
*FIELD THEORIES- RENORMALIZATION
*KONDO EFFECT
*STATISTICAL MECHANICS- RENORMALIZATION
CORRELATION FUNCTIONS
CRITICAL TEMPERATURE
HAMILTONIANS
ITERATIVE METHODS
LAGRANGIAN FUNCTION
PERTURBATION THEORY