Critical behaviour of the Ising model on the 4-dimensional lattice

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the nature of the singularity of the Ising model of the 4-dimensional cubic lattice. It is rigorously known that the specific heat has critical exponent $\alpha=0$ but a non-rigorous field-theory argument predicts an unbounded specific heat with a logarithmic singularity at $T_c$. We find that within the given accuracy the canonical ensemble data is consistent both with a logarithmic singularity and a bounded specific heat, but that the micro-canonical ensemble lends stronger support to a bounded specific heat. Our conclusion is that either much larger system sizes are needed for Monte Carlo studies of this model in four dimensions or the field theory prediction of a logarithmic singularity is wrong.