 Mean-field Ising critical bifurcation

For a ferromagnetic Ising model with coordination number of a lattice $z$, its mean-field self-consistency equation is $M=\tanh (zJM/(k_{B}T))$. Put $A=T_c/T$. For $A\le 1$, the only solution is zero. For $A>1$, strict concavity of $\tanh (AM)-M$ on $M>0$ gives one positive solution and its spin-reversed partner. Expanding $\tanh (AM)=AM-(AM{)}^3/3+O(M^5)$ gives $M^2=3(A-1)/A^3+O((A-1{)}^2)$, proving a continuous onset with order-parameter critical exponent $\beta =1/2$. The Bragg-Williams free energy of the Ising model has a positive quartic coefficient at $T_c$, so these are the stable ordered minima rather than a first-order jump.