At real field and nonzero temperature, every entry of the finite-range Ising transfer matrix is positive. Its largest eigenvalue is simple by the Perron–Frobenius theorem and depends smoothly on field and temperature. The thermodynamic free energy per site is its negative logarithm times . In the nearest-neighbour chain it is analytic and the zero-field magnetization vanishes, despite exponentially long low-temperature correlations. Finite-volume spin-inversion symmetry alone would not suffice to exclude spontaneous thermodynamic order.
A square nonnegative matrix is irreducible if for each pair there is an integer with . This says that every index can reach every other through positive entries. The Perron–Frobenius theorem then gives a positive leading eigenvector and an algebraically simple eigenvalue. Irreducibility alone permits other eigenvalues of the same modulus: the cyclic permutation matrix has eigenvalues .
For a finite-range isotropic Heisenberg model, the Mermin-Wagner theorem excludes spontaneous magnetic order in one dimension at every nonzero temperature. Long-wavelength rotations cost very little energy: a smooth orientational fluctuation has , so its thermal variance contains , which diverges in the infrared. In a Heisenberg ferromagnet, the same obstruction appears as a divergent thermal occupation of quadratic long-wave spin waves. This explains why a finite magnetization cannot be supported, although correlations can be strong over a long finite distance. The rigorous statement requires short-range interactions and the stated continuous symmetry; interchain coupling and anisotropy change the problem. Symmetry forcing the mean to zero in a finite chain alone would not prove absence of thermodynamic order. [ref]
For the Ising model, use dimensionless , , and . Its pair Boltzmann factor is
Multiplying N such factors around the periodic ring counts each bond once and each field term twice with weight one half. Summing the closed spin-index sequence therefore gives the transfer matrix for the one-dimensional Ising model
The two eigenvalues are
At finite temperature every entry of P is positive, so the Perron–Frobenius theorem gives . Consequently
The exact finite-N correction to the extensive expression is . No assumption that is positive is needed.
Differentiate at fixed temperature. For , . The Ising-chain magnetization with spin-half normalization gives total magnetic moment
This is the thermodynamic-limit result; the moment per site is M/N. For every finite , , even with the thermodynamic limit taken first. The zero-field magnetic susceptibility per site is , large but finite.
The Ising-chain domain-wall energy convention explains the result for : changing a parallel bond into an antiparallel bond costs J in this spin-half normalization. Domain walls, occurring in pairs on a ring, acquire a nonzero density at any nonzero temperature. Indeed the zero-field correlation length is at low temperature. The Ising symmetry is discrete, so this is a separate one-dimensional domain-wall mechanism rather than an application of the continuous-symmetry theorem. At zero temperature a ferromagnetic chain can select a fully polarized state; the and limits do not commute.
Put and label the two spin values in the order . Assign each bond its Boltzmann weight,
The symmetry of the bond energy makes a real symmetric matrix. For a fixed configuration the product of successive matrix entries is its Boltzmann weight. Summing over all spins and identifying the last index with the first therefore gives
where
This replaces a sum over configurations by the powers of a two-by-two matrix. For finite bond energies at , every matrix entry is positive, so the Perron–Frobenius theorem gives and . Hence the Helmholtz free energy per spin tends to . A diagonal local observable can be inserted at one site: . Its limiting average is the expectation in the normalized eigenvector of .
Let and use the two spin values as row and column labels. Define the spin-chain transfer matrix
It is a real symmetric matrix because ; every entry is strictly positive for finite bond energies at . The Boltzmann factor of a spin configuration factorizes into the product . Summing the intermediate spin labels is exactly matrix multiplication, and the final closure imposes periodic boundary conditions. Thus
Writing , its eigenvalues are
A positive-entry matrix need not have two positive eigenvalues; can be negative. The Perron–Frobenius theorem ensures here. Therefore the Helmholtz free energy is , and its value per spin in the thermodynamic limit is .
The necessary and sufficient condition is
where is the spectral radius of the nonnegative matrix. No irreducibility is required. We use the given nonnegative-vector characterization of its Perron eigenvalue.
For necessity, suppose is the survival fixed point and let . Since for every , its equation gives for every . There are finitely many such coordinates, so
Outside the inequality still holds, because its right side is zero and its left side is nonnegative. The provided Perron–Frobenius theorem characterization therefore gives . In particular survival is impossible at for this Poisson offspring law.
Conversely suppose . The given characterization supplies a nonzero with ; normalize it so . For sufficiently small ,
For example any works. Coordinates with satisfy the inequality automatically. Starting at , iterate . Monotonicity makes the sequence increase, and takes nonnegative vectors into , so it converges to a fixed point . Part (a) gives , proving survival from at least one type. This proves the spectral survival criterion for multitype Poisson branching for reducible as well as irreducible reproduction matrices.
Take the couplings in the Hamiltonian to include inverse temperature, so the Boltzmann factor is . If physical energies are used instead, first replace by their products with . Split the on-site term equally between its two bonds. For spin states the spin-chain transfer matrix has entries
Using the specified coupling coordinates, in the order this is
For example, and . This is the nearest-neighbour Blume–Emery–Griffiths model with an additive constant and the paper's sign convention for .
Summing the periodic spin chain gives the partition function . For finite real couplings all entries of are strictly positive; the Perron–Frobenius theorem gives a unique positive dominant eigenvalue with for . Since is a symmetric matrix, all its eigenvalues are real. Thus in the thermodynamic limit,
The positivity condition is stronger and more useful than mere ordering by signed value: subdominant eigenvalues can be negative. Also, the printed strict ordering between the other two is not guaranteed for all couplings. For instance, makes the positive constant matrix with two equal zero eigenvalues. Degeneracy there does not affect the largest-eigenvalue limit; no explicit generic eigenvalues are needed.
For spin magnetization, introduce a dimensionless field through , or insert into the trace. Then
where is a normalized eigenvector of the largest eigenvalue and . Spin inversion symmetry gives , since the positive eigenvector of the largest eigenvalue is unique. Therefore
at zero field, both at finite and in the finite-coupling thermodynamic limit. The finite- result follows directly by pairing each configuration with its spin-reversed partner. Eigenvalues at a single fixed field do not determine a general observable: a field derivative of the largest eigenvalue, or its eigenvector, is required. Positivity and the real analytic dependence on the couplings exclude a finite-temperature spontaneous symmetry breaking transition in this one-dimensional finite-range chain; singular zero-temperature coupling limits require separate treatment.
For even , spin decimation on alternate sites sums the middle spin of each two-bond segment, hence the coarse spin-chain transfer matrix is . Define
Direct multiplication gives . Matching its entry ratios to the original parameterization yields the spin-1 chain decimation recursion
The remaining overall positive factor is absorbed into . Keeping that factor preserves the free energy as well as normalized spin probabilities. Indeed , exactly; on an odd ring an unmatched boundary segment needs separate handling rather than assuming a uniform two-site block decomposition.
Share each on-site field energy equally between its two neighboring bonds. In the ordered basis , the symmetric transfer matrix for a classical spin chain is
The product recovers each bond and each field term once. Summing the periodic indices closes a trace, giving . The two eigenvalues are
The square-root argument is positive. Moreover , so even at nonzero field. Its sign must not be discarded merely because all matrix entries are positive. The Perron–Frobenius theorem ensures that the positive eigenvalue has the larger modulus, and the infinite-chain free energy is . For even , both terms in the finite-size partition function are positive.
For each pair of adjacent spins, define the transfer matrix for a classical spin chain by . Multiplying its entries gives the Boltzmann factor of a whole configuration. The periodic boundary condition identifies the last index with the first, so
The assumed interchange symmetry of makes a real symmetric matrix, hence it has an orthonormal eigenbasis. At finite positive temperature, every matrix entry is strictly positive, so the Perron–Frobenius theorem supplies a unique positive largest eigenvalue , larger in modulus than every other one. Therefore .
Local observables become matrix insertions. For example, with ,
Thus partition functions and correlation functions reduce to a fixed-dimensional eigenvalue problem, rather than a sum over exponentially many microstates.
Put and label the two spin values in the order . Assign each bond its Boltzmann weight,
The symmetry of the bond energy makes a real symmetric matrix. For a fixed configuration the product of successive matrix entries is its Boltzmann weight. Summing over all spins and identifying the last index with the first therefore gives
where
This replaces a sum over configurations by the powers of a two-by-two matrix. For finite bond energies at , every matrix entry is positive, so the Perron–Frobenius theorem gives and . Hence the Helmholtz free energy per spin tends to . A diagonal local observable can be inserted at one site: . Its limiting average is the expectation in the normalized eigenvector of .
Let and use the two spin values as row and column labels. Define the spin-chain transfer matrix
It is a real symmetric matrix because ; every entry is strictly positive for finite bond energies at . The Boltzmann factor of a spin configuration factorizes into the product . Summing the intermediate spin labels is exactly matrix multiplication, and the final closure imposes periodic boundary conditions. Thus
Writing , its eigenvalues are
A positive-entry matrix need not have two positive eigenvalues; can be negative. The Perron–Frobenius theorem ensures here. Therefore the Helmholtz free energy is , and its value per spin in the thermodynamic limit is .
A square nonnegative matrix is primitive if some positive integer power has strictly positive entries. It is therefore an irreducible nonnegative matrix. The Perron–Frobenius theorem gives a leading eigenvalue whose modulus is strictly larger than that of every other eigenvalue. Every strictly positive matrix is primitive; the two-cycle permutation matrix is irreducible but not primitive.
This criterion holds even for reducible nonnegative matrices. If a fixed point exists, for gives on its support. Some therefore satisfies , forcing the spectral radius above one by the Perron–Frobenius theorem. Conversely take , , with and . For sufficiently small , . Thus is a subsolution; monotone iteration under gives a positive fixed point below . Strictness of excludes survival at the critical value for this Poisson offspring law.
For a heterogeneous SIS model with common recovery rate and a positive endemic equilibrium , force balance gives . When the transmission matrix is irreducible and nonnegative, the positive equilibrium vector and the Perron–Frobenius theorem imply the displayed spectral radius identity. It replaces the homogeneous scalar relation : different recipient types generally have different susceptible fractions.
For a nearest-neighbour classical chain with finitely many spin states and dimensionless bond energy , its transfer matrix is . On-site energies are divided between adjacent bonds. Periodic boundary conditions give partition function by direct multiplication and summation over spin labels. For a strictly positive symmetric matrix, the Perron–Frobenius theorem gives . A diagonal local observable has expectation , tending to for a normalized dominant eigenvector.