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For a composition free energy $F=\int [f(\varphi )+\kappa |\nabla \varphi {|}^2/2]$, the local chemical potential is the functional derivativeAt phase coexistence, exchanges between the bulk phases require equal chemical potentials. Mechanical equilibrium additionally requires equal pressure for a flat interface, or a Young–Laplace equation pressure jump for a curved interface.

For constant positive order-parameter mobility $M$, dynamic viscosity $\eta$ and mass density $\rho$, deterministic Model H dynamics dissipates the sum of composition free energy and kinetic energy:Assume smooth fields and periodic or closed, no-work boundaries. Using the chemical potential of a composition field, integration by parts and incompressible flow gives $\dot{F}=\int \varphi \mathbf{v}\cdot \nabla \mu -M\int |\nabla \mu {|}^2$. Dotting the momentum equation with velocity gives ${\dot{E}}_{\mathrm{kin}}=-\int \varphi \mathbf{v}\cdot \nabla \mu -\eta \int |\nabla \mathbf{v}{|}^2$. Pressure and convective work vanish under the boundary assumptions; the two capillary transfer terms cancel. This proves both the sign of the Korteweg force and its reversible exchange of energy with the composition field.

A field conjugate to a scalar order parameter $m$ contributes $-hm$ to its free-energy density. Differentiating the equilibrium free energy with respect to $h$ gives $-m$, with density or extensive normalization stated consistently. In a ferromagnet the conjugate field is magnetic; for a fluid-density order parameter it is related to a chemical-potential difference. It can explicitly break the symmetry whose spontaneous breaking defines the ordered phase.

A free-energy functional assigns a free energy to an entire spatial order parameter configuration rather than only to one uniform value. In Landau-Ginzburg theory, a local derivative expansion gives $\mathcal{A}[m]=\int d^{D}x\{\kappa (\nabla m{)}^2/2+V(m)\}$, with appropriate boundary terms and regular backgrounds. The Landau approximation minimizes this functional; a fluctuating statistical field theory instead integrates its Boltzmann weight over configurations. These procedures need not give identical critical exponents.

For quadratic free energy with positive $a,\kappa$ and kinetic coefficient $\Gamma$, a deterministic initial Dirac delta distribution evolves under nonconserved order-parameter dynamics to the meanTaking the expectation removes the centered Gaussian white noise; the resulting diffusion-reaction equation is solved by the heat kernel. The integrated mean is $A{e}^{-\Gamma at}$, so spreading does not conserve the initial excess. The connected Fourier mode covariance grows from zero to $k_{B}T/(a+\kappa q^2)$ as $1-e^{-2\Gamma (a+\kappa q^2)t}$ by the Itô isometry. A realization retains equilibrium fluctuations after its mean has decayed. Pointwise continuum white-noise quantities require a coarse-graining cutoff.

Two thermal derivatives of a regulated Gaussian determinant produce this integral. For $0<D<4$, rescaling $p=\sqrt{t}q$ yields a divergent power $t^{D/2-2}$ and heat-capacity critical exponent $\alpha =(4-D)/2$. At four dimensions the singularity is logarithmic, with power exponent zero. Above four the leading heat capacity is a finite cutoff-dependent background; its leading bounded-power convention has exponent zero, although the background-subtracted singular Gaussian contribution retains the negative index $2-D/2$. In a stable quartic theory the mean-field ordered free energy proportional to $-t^2/u$ instead produces a heat-capacity jump. This is why a dangerously irrelevant coupling qualifies naive hyperscaling relation.

If an energy per site $C$ multiplies the identity operator, blocking sends $C$ to $b^{D}C+c(u)$. For free energy per site $F=C+f(u)$, exact partition function invariance gives the displayed inhomogeneous equation with $g=b^{-D}c$. It records eliminated-mode entropy, vacuum contributions and measure normalization. Removing a suitable regular background leaves homogeneous singular scaling; additive logarithmic resonances can obstruct a strictly analytic subtraction.

The approximate partition function obtained by decoupling each Ising bond has this free energy. The quadratic constant compensates double counting. Its stationary condition is the self-consistency equation; away from stationarity $m$ parametrizes the assumed effective field and need not equal that distribution's mean Ising spin. It agrees at stationary points with the Bragg-Williams free energy of the Ising model, although their off-equilibrium expansions differ.

For nonconserved order-parameter dynamics, the positive kinetic coefficient $\Gamma$ converts the functional derivative of the free energy into a relaxation rate through $\dot{p}=-\Gamma \delta F/\delta p$. Microscopic reversibility fixes the accompanying Gaussian white noise variance by the Model A fluctuation-dissipation relation.

The Landau approximation evaluates a statistical field's partition function at a stable stationary configuration, omitting fluctuation-loop corrections to the free energy. Functional differentiation of that stationary value still gives a connected linear response: the inverse of the saddle's quadratic fluctuation operator. Freezing fields before differentiating would lose this response. A Gaussian field theory, in contrast, permits exact integration of its quadratic fluctuations.

A neutral pair of opposite nematic disclinations can annihilate under dissipative relaxation, because the total topological charge of a two-dimensional nematic disclination is zero. Its far-field elastic energy increases as $2\pi K{\lambda }_0^2{q}^2\log (R/r_0)$ with separation $R$, so the pair has an attractive elastic force proportional to $-1/R$. As opposite cores meet, the nematic order parameter may vanish locally and the two windings disappear. Integer defects may first undergo energetic fission of an integer nematic disclination, leading to encounters of elementary half-charge defects. The actual paths and annihilation time require a dynamical law; the free energy alone does not specify core mobility. Pinning, imposed boundary winding or thermal defect production can obstruct a defect-free final state.

For interaction $V=u\int {\varphi }^4/4!$, split $\varphi =\phi +\eta$ into slow and fast Fourier modes, with a centered fast Gaussian measure. The first cumulant expansion term is $⟨V⟩=(u/24)\int [{\phi }^4+6G_{>}(0){\phi }^2+3G_{>}(0{)}^2]$ by Wick theorem. The constant shifts the free energy, the quadratic term gives $\delta r=u{G}_{>}(0)/2$, and there is no gradient correction at this order. Rescaling gives $r^{\prime }=b^2[r+u{G}_{>}(0)/2]+O(u^2)$ and $u^{\prime }=b^{4-D}u+O(u^2)$. The mass shift mixes thermal and quartic perturbations; the interacting critical tuning need not have zero bare mass.

The positive order-parameter mobility $M$ relates the diffusive transport flux to the chemical potential gradient: $\mathbf{J}=-M\nabla \mu$. Combining this law with local conservation gives the Cahn--Hilliard equation when $\mu$ is the functional derivative of a composition free energy.