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For the renormalization-group transformation $f(u)=b^{-D}f(R_{b}u)+g(u)$, a background solving $a(u)=b^{-D}a(R_{b}u)+g(u)$ leaves a homogeneous remainder. In linear scaling coordinates $t^{\prime }=b^{{\lambda }_t}t$ and $h^{\prime }=b^{{\lambda }_h}h$, an analytic source term $g_{mn}{t}^m{h}^n$ is removed by $a_{mn}=g_{mn}/[1-b^{m{\lambda }_t+n{\lambda }_h-D}]$ unless the denominator vanishes. Such a resonance may produce a logarithm and invalidate a pure homogeneous power law. The scaling hypothesis for critical phenomena concerns the singular remainder. A regular field-dependent background cannot generally be represented by a function of temperature alone; an arbitrary analytic identity term proportional to $h^2$ makes this explicit.

A renormalization-group transformation can scale different coordinate directions by different factors to keep distinct gradient terms fixed. If momentum component $p_i$ scales to $b^{w_i}{p}_i$, its coordinate scales by $b^{-w_i}$. The momentum/volume measure has total scaling weight ${\sum }_i{w}_i$, motivating the anisotropic effective dimension.

Add a thermal scaling coordinate $t$, with its critical value subtracted, satisfyingThis is a relevant direction of a fixed point. A thermal scaling coordinate agrees to leading order with a nonzero multiple of reduced temperature; in a general model it can mix several bare parameters. An ordering conjugate field is held at its critical value. The combined stability matrix at $(g,t)=(ϵ,0)$ has eigenvalues $-ϵ$ and $y_t$. Attraction along $g$ therefore does not make the critical point attractive against thermal detuning. The critical surface in this example is $t=0$.

Let $X=\xi /a$ denote the correlation length in microscopic lattice units. A renormalization-group transformation of length factor $b$ givesIndeed, a tail with exponential envelope $\exp (-r/\xi )$ becomes $\exp [-r^{\prime }/(\xi /b)]$ under $r^{\prime }=r/b$. Choose the stopping scale $b_{\ast }=|t_0{|}^{-1/y_t}$ so that the transformed thermal coordinate is $+1$ or $-1$. If the stopped correlation length tends to a finite nonzero value $C_{\pm }$ as the irrelevant coupling approaches $g_{\ast }$, thenThe limit requires $|t_0|\ll 1$ and enough room between $a$, $\xi$, and the sample size. Singular dependence on a dangerously irrelevant coupling or a marginal operator needs separate analysis. On an ordered branch, use the connected correlation function in a pure thermodynamic phase.

For a completely specified illustrative scaling model choose $y_t=3/2$ and $X=C_{+}{t}^{-2/3}$ for $t>0$. Then $t=10^{-3}$ gives $X=100C_{+}$, whereas $t=10^{-6}$ gives $X=10^4{C}_{+}$. With $b=4$, $t^{\prime }=8t$ and $X(t^{\prime })=X(t)/4$. Models with $C_{+}=1$ and $C_{+}=2$ have different lengths but identical curves after plotting $X/C_{+}$ against $t$. This collapse checks the chosen scaling law; agreement of real data would test that law, rather than follow from this example. Neither $ϵ=1/5$ nor $y_t=3/2$ is being fitted to a three-dimensional Ising model.

The renormalization group organizes how a statistical system changes when observed at progressively larger length scales. Start with its partition function and a microscopic cutoff $\Lambda$. Split the Fourier transform field into modes below $\Lambda /b$ and modes in the shell $\Lambda /b<|q|<\Lambda$. Integrate the shell modes, rescale coordinates $x^{\prime }=x/b$ to restore the cutoff, and rescale the field to keep a chosen gradient normalization. This is a renormalization-group transformation. It preserves the partition function when the generated interactions and additive free energy terms are retained; truncating the resulting operator expansion is an approximation.

A renormalization-group fixed point has an invariant dimensionless interaction structure. The continuous flow of a nearby scaling field $v_i$ takes the linearized formA positive $y_i$ defines a relevant operator, a negative $y_i$ an irrelevant operator, and a zero $y_i$ a marginal operator requiring nonlinear analysis. The continuous-flow eigenvalues $y_i$ should not be confused with the discrete multipliers $b^{y_i}$. To reach a critical point, tune the relevant thermal variable and set the relevant symmetry-breaking source to zero. The resulting flow stays on the critical surface.

Microscopically different systems whose remaining couplings approach the same fixed point share a universality class. Irrelevant perturbations lose their influence on long-distance exponents. Relevant directions explain why varying the temperature or field moves the system away from criticality. The thermal scaling field obeys $t^{\prime }=b^{y_t}t$, while the rescaled correlation length is ${\xi }^{\prime }=\xi /b$. Taking $b=|t{|}^{-1/y_t}$ therefore gives $\nu =1/y_t$.

If the field has scaling dimension $x_{\varphi }=(d-2+\eta )/2$, the source term $\int h\varphi$ has eigenvalue $y_h=d-x_{\varphi }=(d+2-\eta )/2$. The singular free-energy density then obeyswhen the hyperscaling relation is valid. This derives the scaling hypothesis for critical phenomena and the exponent relations of Question 2 from the fixed-point picture.

At the Gaussian fixed point, keeping $\int (\nabla \varphi {)}^2$ invariant gives $x_{\varphi }=(d-2)/2$. The quadratic coupling has $y_r=2$ and the quartic coupling has $y_u=4-d$. Thus quartic interactions are relevant below four dimensions, marginal at four, and irrelevant above four. Below four, in dimensions where an ordinary continuous short-range scalar transition exists, an interacting Wilson-Fisher fixed point governs that transition. Above four, the Gaussian fixed point gives mean-field powers, but the quartic term remains necessary to stabilize the ordered state: it is a dangerously irrelevant coupling, explaining the failure of naive hyperscaling. The renormalization group connects scale invariance, universality, relevant tuning parameters and fluctuation corrections in one framework.

Write ${\beta }_T=(k_{B}T{)}^{-1}$ for inverse temperature to distinguish it from the order-parameter critical exponent. A normalized blocking kernel $B_b({\sigma }^{\prime },\sigma )$ is a nonnegative conditional distribution of coarse spins given the fine spins, normalized byFor deterministic blocking it can impose a majority rule or block average, with a Dirac delta replacing the sum constraint for continuous coarse variables. Each block occupies $b^D$ original cells, so the new lattice spacing and number of sites areThe physical volume $N{a}^D$ is unchanged. After $p$ blockings, $a_p=b^{p}a$ and $N_p=b^{-pD}N$.

Define the coarse statistical Hamiltonian by the exact Boltzmann-weight identityThe operator family must include all generated interactions for this renormalization-group transformation to be exact; restricting it to a few couplings is an approximation. The scalar $g(u)$ has energy units and is the contribution per original site that is independent of ${\sigma }^{\prime }$. Restoring the original constant term $NC$ giveshenceThis convention measures $g$ per original site; defining a constant per new site would move a factor $b^D$ into its definition.

The identity-operator contribution to renormalization-group free energy $C_p$ records the configuration-independent normalization generated by the eliminated spins. It includes their contribution to free energy, including entropy and measure factors, and need not be independent of temperature. It has no effect on normalized probabilities of the retained spins, but is indispensable for the total partition function and its temperature derivatives. Iterating its recursion givesThus $N_p{C}_p$ is the original constant $N{C}_0$ plus the accumulated free-energy contributions of the eliminated degrees of freedom.

To obtain the additive free-energy recursion under blocking, use energy-valued free energy per current lattice site,The blocking kernel normalization impliesSubstituting the recursion for $C^{\prime }$ cancels $C$, givingA second step gives $f_0(u_0)=b^{-2D}{f}_0(u_2)+g(u_0)+b^{-D}g(u_1)$, and induction provesFor dimensionless free energy $-\log Z/N$, multiply $F,f_0,g,C$ throughout by ${\beta }_T$.

The singular free-energy density must be distinguished from the exact per-site representative $f_0$. If $a(u)$ is a regular background and $f_s=f_0-a$, thenThus the same displayed inhomogeneous recursion holds with $f_s,g_s$ after subtraction. When a suitable analytic background solves $a(u)=g(u)+b^{-D}a(Ru)$, it leaves a homogeneous singular recursion. Analytic subtraction of an inhomogeneous renormalization recursion explains this separation. A renormalization-group free-energy resonance can obstruct analytic subtraction and produce a logarithm. The original function $g$ originates in the short-distance spins that were summed out, rather than in an extra external interaction.

Near a renormalization-group fixed point $u_{\ast }$, linearize the transformation:An eigenvector of $\mathsf{A}$ with eigenvalue $b^{y_i}$ defines a scaling coordinate $t_i$ with $t_i^{\prime }=b^{y_i}{t}_i$ to leading order. A relevant operator has $y_i>0$: its coupling grows towards large distances, so it must be tuned to reach the fixed point. An irrelevant operator has $y_i<0$ and dies away; a marginal operator has $y_i=0$ and requires higher-order flow analysis. An operator of scaling dimension $x_i$ has $y_i=D-x_i$.

The coarse spins also require a multiplicative normalization. In continuum notation, writewhere ${\varphi }_{<}$ is the retained field and $\eta$ is its anomalous dimension. This restores the normalization of the critical long-distance connected correlation function. Since a uniform field conjugate to an order parameter enters through $\int d^{D}xH\varphi$, it has eigenvalue exponent $y_h=D-x_{\varphi }=(D+2-\eta )/2$.

Let $t$ be the thermal relevant coordinate with exponent $y_t>0$. After regular backgrounds have been removed, the leading singular free-energy density obeysfor a large total scale factor $B=b^p$. Choosing $B=|t{|}^{-1/y_t}$ gives the scaling hypothesis for critical phenomenaTwo temperature derivatives give the heat-capacity critical exponent; one conjugate-field derivative gives the order-parameter critical exponent; two such derivatives give the magnetic-susceptibility critical exponent. Scaling the correlation length gives $\xi (t)=B\xi (B^{y_t}t)$. Consequently,At $t=0$, instead choose $B=|H{|}^{-1/y_h}$; differentiating gives $\delta =y_h/(D-y_h)$. These scaling relations for critical exponents assume that irrelevant variables can be set to their fixed-point values without singular consequences. A dangerously irrelevant coupling or logarithmic correction requires keeping the corresponding dependence.

For the Gaussian field theory, integrate out the Fourier modes in $\Lambda /b<|q|<\Lambda$ and retain ${\varphi }_{<}$. The modes are independent at zero external field, so this Gaussian thinning transformation changes the normalization by a Gaussian determinant and leaves a quadratic statistical Hamiltonian for the retained modes. Restore the cutoff withIn the integrated statistical Hamiltonian, the volume element contributes $b^D$, each gradient contributes $b^{-1}$, and each field contributes $b^{-(D-2)/2}$. Thus the coefficient ${\kappa }^{-1}$ of the gradient energy is unchanged, whileIn particular $y_t=2$, $y_h=(D+2)/2$ and $\eta =0$. The Gaussian critical exponents and the Gaussian order-parameter scaling index therefore give the requested indicesThe sign convention $+h\varphi$ corresponds to the physical conjugate field $H=-h$ and does not affect these powers.

There are physical qualifications to these Gaussian indices. The strictly quadratic Gaussian field theory is stable for positive $m^2$ and has no stable ordered phase for negative $m^2$; its purported spontaneous $\beta$ is therefore the formal Gaussian order-parameter scaling index. A stabilizing quartic term gives an actual ordered phase. Below four dimensions that term is relevant and changes the exponents; above four dimensions it is a dangerously irrelevant coupling and gives the actual mean-field $\beta =1/2$, rather than the Gaussian hyperscaling value.

The heat capacity power can also be checked directly. Apart from constants, the zero-field Gaussian free-energy density isIf $m^2\propto t$, its singular second temperature derivative is controlled by $\int d^{D}q(q^2+\kappa m^2{)}^{-2}$. For $0<D<4$, rescaling $q=\sqrt{\kappa m^2}k$ gives a power $t^{D/2-2}$, as above. At $D=4$ there is a logarithm, and for $D>4$ an analytic background dominates the heat capacity. The negative formal Gaussian $\alpha$ then describes the subleading singular piece, with logarithmic resonances at appropriate even dimensions. This is the Gaussian specific-heat infrared threshold, and it prevents confusing singular indices with the entire observable.

A renormalization-group fixed point satisfies $R_b(u_{\ast })=u_{\ast }$. A critical fixed point is scale invariant and has divergent correlation length. The critical surface consists of couplings flowing toward it after relevant variables have been tuned; noncritical flows ultimately leave its neighborhood toward finite-correlation-length phases.

Linearize the renormalization-group transformation near the fixed point and choose scaling coordinates. If the thermal and magnetic coordinates transform as $t^{\prime }=b^{y_t}t$ and $h^{\prime }=b^{y_h}h$, the singular free-energy density obeysChoose $b=|t{|}^{-1/y_t}$ to stop at an order-one thermal coordinate. This gives the scaling hypothesis for critical phenomenaConsequently $\nu =1/y_t$ and $\Delta =y_h/y_t$, with $2-\alpha =D/y_t$ when hyperscaling applies. The fixed point determines universal powers, while microscopic couplings set metric factors and amplitudes. Dangerously irrelevant variables and marginal logarithms can qualify the simple homogeneous form.

Use ${\beta }_{\mathrm{th}}=1/(k_{B}T)$ for inverse temperature, to distinguish it from the order-parameter exponent. In a translation-invariant pure thermodynamic phase, the connected correlation function isThe subtraction is essential below the transition. Its exponential correlation length is defined by ${\xi }^{-1}=-{\lim }_{r\to \infty }{r}^{-1}\log |G(r)|$, with direction specified if the lattice is anisotropic. Away from criticality, $G(r)$ has a tail proportional to $e^{-r/\xi }$ times an algebraic prefactor. In the massive continuum scalar approximation that prefactor is $r^{-(D-1)/2}$; at criticality the exponential cutoff disappears and $G(r)\asymp r^{-(D-2+\eta )}$ instead. The large-distance limit here is $r\gg \xi$, as the PDF shows.

Let $F_{\mathrm{tot}}=-{\beta }_{\mathrm{th}}^{-1}\log Z$. With the energy convention $-h{\sum }_r{\sigma }_r$, the magnetization per site and magnetic susceptibility areWriting $S={\sum }_r{\sigma }_r$, direct differentiation of the partition function gives ${\partial }_h⟨S⟩={\beta }_{\mathrm{th}}(⟨S^2⟩-⟨S{⟩}^2)$. Thus the correlation-function susceptibility sum rule isIn physical continuum coordinates the lattice sum becomes $a^{-D}\int d^{D}rG(r)$, so omitting the site-density factor would change the normalization. A derivative with respect to the dimensionless source ${\beta }_{\mathrm{th}}h$ instead absorbs the explicit inverse-temperature factor.

An exact renormalization-group transformation with length factor $b>1$ can be defined by a nonnegative normalized blocking kernel $K_b({\sigma }^{\prime },\sigma )$ satisfying ${\sum }_{{\sigma }^{\prime }}{K}_b({\sigma }^{\prime },\sigma )=1$. A deterministic majority rule is one example; randomized tie-breaking preserves its normalization. Define the blocked energy, including its constant, bySumming over ${\sigma }^{\prime }$ proves $Z(u^{\prime },C^{\prime },N^{\prime })=Z(u,C,N)$. All generated operators must be retained for this identity to remain exact; a finite-coupling truncation is an approximation. After $p$ iterations, $N_p=N/b^{pD}$ and the spacing is $a_p=b^{p}a$. Long-distance physics is preserved because this is a marginalization of microscopic probabilities, with observables and sources transformed along with the energy. It integrates short-distance variables rather than changing their effects on retained observables. Physical lengths remain fixed even though the correlation length in units of the new spacing is reduced by $b^p$.

For clarity, now use dimensionless free energy per site $F(u,C)=-N^{-1}\log Z=f(u)+{\beta }_{\mathrm{th}}C$. Exact equality of the partition functions givesA constant microscopic energy shifts every blocked weight by the same factor, so $C^{\prime }=b^{D}C+c(u)$. Substitution at one step yields the additive free-energy recursion under blockingInduction now gives the requested relationThe function $g$ is the identity-operator contribution to renormalization-group free energy: it records eliminated-mode entropy, integration constants and normalization factors. A free-energy function satisfying this inhomogeneous equation need not be purely singular until its analytic background has been subtracted.

At a renormalization-group fixed point, $R_b{u}_{\ast }=u_{\ast }$. Linearize in scaling coordinates $v_i$ so $v_i^{\prime }=b^{{\lambda }_i}{v}_i$. Here ${\lambda }_i$ is a scaling exponent, not the discrete multiplier itself. A positive ${\lambda }_i$ gives a relevant operator, a negative one an irrelevant operator, and zero a marginal operator. The critical surface is the stable manifold: tune every relevant scaling field to zero and the irrelevant coordinates flow toward $u_{\ast }$. A repulsive renormalization-group trajectory leaves along a relevant direction; it can still have irrelevant coordinates contracting toward that manifold. The plot shows the $h=0$ section when temperature and field are relevant: $t=0$ is the critical line in this section, while an independent nonzero field is another direction away from criticality.

The inhomogeneous term cannot simply be discarded from the full free energy. If an analytic background $A(u)$ solves $A(u)=b^{-D}A(R_{b}u)+g(u)$, its subtraction leaves $F_s=f-A$ obeying homogeneous scaling. For example, in linear thermal and field coordinates, a source monomial $g_{mn}{t}^m{h}^n$ is removed byWhen the denominator vanishes, the source is resonant and can instead produce a logarithm. Thus the homogeneous singular equation is justified after analytic subtraction when there is no relevant resonance affecting the leading singularity, no marginal logarithm that has been omitted, and no singular dependence on a dangerously irrelevant coupling. Merely saying that $g$ is regular is insufficient to discard the whole weighted sum without this analysis.

Under these assumptions, with two relevant scaling fields $t,h$, choose $p$ so that $b^{p{\lambda }_t}|t|$ is of order one. The scaling hypothesis for critical phenomena then givesWriting ${\Phi }_{\pm }=f_{\pm }+I_{\pm }$ recovers the PDF's notation:The sign labels the two matching branches $t>0$ and $t<0$, which enter different phases when the flow leaves the critical neighborhood. The constants $I_{\pm }$ retain a branch-dependent identity contribution or a chosen split of the scaling function. They are determined by the same matching problem, not independently adjustable nonuniversal free-energy offsets. An arbitrary analytic offset from $C_0$ belongs to the subtracted background. The formula describes the singular part; adding that background recovers the full physical free energy.

At $h=0$, restore the common metric factors as $F_{s,\pm }=A_f|a_{t}t{|}^{D/{\lambda }_t}{\Phi }_{\pm }(0)$. Their ratio at equal $|t|$ is ${\Phi }_{+}(0)/{\Phi }_{-}(0)$, proving the expected universal singular free-energy amplitude ratio because $A_f$ and $a_t$ cancel. The ratio of full free energies including an arbitrary regular $C_0$ is not universal; zero amplitudes and logarithmic resonances also require separate treatment.

The critical exponents are obtained by rescaling and differentiating, not by identifying them with the discrete multipliers. The correlation length obeys $\xi (t,h)=b^p\xi (b^{p{\lambda }_t}t,b^{p{\lambda }_h}h)$, hence $\nu =1/{\lambda }_t$. Two temperature derivatives of $F_s(t,0)$ give $C_{V,s}\asymp |t{|}^{D/{\lambda }_t-2}$, while one and two field derivatives give the ordered magnetization and susceptibility powers. ThusFor $\delta$, instead set $t=0$ and choose the blocking scale by $h$, obtaining $F_s(0,h)\asymp |h{|}^{D/{\lambda }_h}$ and then differentiate. A nonzero spontaneous ordered-branch derivative is assumed in the formula for $\beta$. In particular the hyperscaling relation is $\boxed{\alpha =2-D\nu }$. Its physical assumption is an order-one singular free energy per correlation volume, with a single diverging length and no dangerous variable changing its volume scaling. Above the upper critical dimension, a stabilizing quartic coupling can invalidate that assumption even though the correlation length still scales.

For the last model, take the quadratic Hamiltonian exactly as visually printed: its source term is $+h\varphi$, outside the half multiplying the gradient and mass terms. With $\kappa >0$ and $m^2>0$, its connected quadratic covariance is proportional toThe pole scale, or the massive Gaussian field correlation tail obtained by its Fourier transform, givesThe uniform source shifts the mean to $⟨\varphi ⟩=-h/m^2$ and does not change the connected covariance. Replacing $h$ by $-h$ matches the earlier magnetic source convention without changing any scaling index.

Define a Gaussian thinning transformation by retaining momenta $|q|<\Lambda /b$, integrating the Gaussian shell, and rescalingThe gradient coefficient is unchanged. Counting volume and field powers in the remaining action givesShell integration contributes only the additive determinant term. Thus ${\lambda }_t=2$ when the thermal variable is proportional to $m^2$, and ${\lambda }_h=(D+2)/2$. Inserting these into the homogeneous index formulas gives the requested Gaussian critical exponentsThe specific-heat power can also be verified without hyperscaling: two mass-squared derivatives of $\frac{1}{2}\int d^{D}q(2\pi {)}^{-D}\log ({\kappa }^{-1}{q}^2+m^2)$ produce an integral proportional to $\int d^{D}q(q^2+\kappa m^2{)}^{-2}$. For $0<D<4$, rescaling $q=\sqrt{\kappa }mp$ gives $(m^2{)}^{D/2-2}$; at $D=4$ the divergence is logarithmic, with power index zero. At $D=2$ the determinant itself has an additive $m^2\log m^2$ resonance, although its heat-capacity power remains one.

There is a genuine limitation to the last printed request. The Gaussian order-parameter scaling index ${\beta }_G$ is formal: a pure quadratic theory has $⟨\varphi ⟩=0$ at $h=0,m^2>0$, and at $m^2<0$ the uniform energy $m^2{\varphi }^2/2$ is unbounded below, so its partition function diverges. It therefore has no stable ordered branch from which a spontaneous-magnetization exponent can be measured. The thinning derivation establishes the index requested by the PDF, but not a nonexistent ordered phase. A stabilizing quartic interaction is relevant for $D<4$ and generally changes these Gaussian indices to the interacting critical ones.

Use dimensionless interaction couplings in the exponent of the Boltzmann weight. In the following formulas $K,L$ denote the physical interaction energies divided by $k_{B}T$ if that factor has not already been absorbed into the displayed Hamiltonian. This convention is required for temperature-independent numerical fixed-point coordinates.

Split the original square lattice into retained sites $E$ with even $x+y$ and eliminated sites $O$ with odd $x+y$, where coordinates are in units of $a$. Every nearest-neighbour bond joins $E$ to $O$, whereas a diagonal next-nearest-neighbour bond stays within one sublattice. Denote retained Ising spins by $s_e$ and eliminated Ising spins by ${\eta }_o$. For fixed retained Ising spins defineThe blocked Boltzmann weight in the checkerboard decimation of the square-lattice Ising model isUse the independent uniform product measure on Ising spins on $O$ to perform a cumulant expansion. Its one-spin mean vanishes, and $⟨{\eta }_o{\eta }_{o^{\prime }}{⟩}_0={\delta }_{o{o}^{\prime }}$. Consequently the first-order $K$ term, the first-order eliminated-sublattice $L$ term, and the mixed $KL$ term vanish. To the requested order,Here the truncation keeps $K^2$ and the linear term in $L$; equivalently count $L$ as order $K^2$. At higher orders the interaction family will generally not close.

Each eliminated site has four retained neighbours, soIts six distinct neighbour pairs comprise four corner pairs at distance $\sqrt{2}a$ and two opposite pairs at distance $2a$. A given retained diagonal pair shares two eliminated centres; a given opposite pair shares only one. Thus the generated pair couplings are $2K^2$ for diagonal pairs and $K^2$ for axial pairs separated by two original spacings. The original $L$ interaction directly contributes to each retained diagonal pair. No single-spin term survives spin inversion symmetry, and no three-spin or four-spin term is present in this second cumulant. This proves closure on exactly two nonconstant interactions at the retained order.

The primitive vectors of the retained square lattice are $a(1,1)$ and $a(1,-1)$. Rotate the axes by $45$ degrees and rescale lengths by $1/\sqrt{2}$; retained diagonal pairs become nearest neighbours, and the axial distance-$2a$ pairs become next-nearest neighbours. With $b=\sqrt{2}$, the leading checkerboard Ising decimation recursion is thereforeThe constant part of the weight is also determined: $4(K^2/2)(N/2)=N{K}^2$, so the original partition function equalsto the same order in the logarithm of the weights. That normalization changes free energy but not the retained-spin interaction operators. If physical energy couplings are kept instead, at fixed ${\beta }_T$ the relations read $K_{\mathrm{energy}}^{\prime }=L_{\mathrm{energy}}+2{\beta }_T{K}_{\mathrm{energy}}^2$ and $L_{\mathrm{energy}}^{\prime }={\beta }_T{K}_{\mathrm{energy}}^2$.

The fixed-point equations are $L_{\ast }=K_{\ast }^2$ and $K_{\ast }=3K_{\ast }^2$. Their only finite real solutions areThe origin is the high-temperature fixed point; its Jacobian matrix is $\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& 1\\ 0& 0\end{array}\right)$, with both multipliers zero. The nontrivial candidate critical point is $(1/3,1/9)$. Linearize the discrete renormalization-group transformation there:The characteristic polynomial is ${\lambda }^2-(4/3)\lambda -2/3$, givingEigenvectors may be chosen as $(1,2/(3{\lambda }_{\pm }){)}^T$. The positive eigenvalue greater than one is the relevant direction of a fixed point; the other is irrelevant because its magnitude is less than one. Its negative sign only alternates the sign of the perturbation between steps. For a discrete map the magnitude relative to one decides relevance, not the sign rule used for continuous beta-function eigenvalues.

Let $t$ be the relevant thermal scaling coordinate, so $t^{\prime }={\lambda }_{+}t$ to first order. A correlation length measured in restored lattice units satisfies $\xi (t^{\prime })=\xi (t)/b$. If $\xi (t)\sim |t{|}^{-\nu }$, then ${\lambda }_{+}^{-\nu }=b^{-1}$. Hence the thermal exponent from a discrete renormalization map isThis is the value predicted by the stated low-order real-space renormalization group, whose nontrivial fixed point is evaluated beyond the strictly infinitesimal-coupling limit. It is an approximation, not an exact solution of the full square-lattice Ising model.

A renormalization group compares models at different observation lengths. A Wilsonian coarse-grained statistical Hamiltonian sums over short-distance fluctuations; a renormalization-group transformation rescales coordinates and fields for comparison. Kenneth Geddes Wilson's 1982 lecture treats fluctuations across successive length scales to explain critical phenomena.^[ref]

The experimental motivation is Andrews's carbon dioxide experiment. Dried carbon dioxide occupied a capillary tube above mercury; a screw compressed the transmitting water. A second air-filled tube gauged pressure. Flowing water controlled temperature, and a cathetometer read column positions for volume. The liquid meniscus vanished near the liquid-gas critical point. Residual air and imperfect air-gauge corrections limited accuracy.^[ref] These observations motivate critical-point theory without determining a correlation-length critical exponent. The renormalization group explains how critical measurements can become insensitive to many molecular details.

In 1972, Kenneth Geddes Wilson and Michael Ellis Fisher used an epsilon expansion about $d=4$ to compute nonclassical critical exponents. Their paper distinguishes a Gaussian fixed point from an interacting renormalization-group fixed point, tunes the thermal parameter, and extracts powers from a linearized recursion. Its Ising-like result is $\gamma =1+ϵ/6+O({ϵ}^2)$ for $d=4-ϵ$.^[ref] The worked model below isolates this mechanism with chosen coefficients; it is not a precision calculation for the three-dimensional Ising model.

An analytic source monomial $g_{mn}{t}^m{h}^n$ in an additive renormalization-group transformation of free-energy density is resonant when its scaling degree equals the spatial dimension. The analytic background coefficient would require division by $1-b^{m{\lambda }_t+n{\lambda }_h-D}=0$. On a branch with $t\ne 0$ and ${\lambda }_t>0$, a particular nonanalytic background is $-g_{mn}{t}^m{h}^n\log |t|/({\lambda }_t\log b)$: substituting $t^{\prime }=b^{{\lambda }_t}t$, $h^{\prime }=b^{{\lambda }_h}h$ verifies the additive recursion exactly. Thus logarithms can be required even when the eliminated-mode source is analytic. This is distinct from marginal interaction running, which can create additional logarithmic corrections.