Mean-field theory
= Mean-field theory
{wiki}
<Mean-field theory> replaces fluctuating interactions with a self-consistent average field. For example, an <Ising spin> feels a field determined by the average neighboring <spin magnetization>; a <self-consistency equation> approximates the interacting <Ising model>. Neglecting correlated fluctuations can fail near a continuous <phase transition>. The <mean-field approximation> in <Landau theory> is a particular use of this general framework.