Complex-Temperature Phase Diagrams for the q-State Potts Model on Self-Dual Families of Graphs and the Nature of the $q \to \infty$ Limit

Abstract

We present exact calculations of the Potts model partition function $Z(G,q,v)$ for arbitrary $q$ and temperature-like variable $v$ on self-dual strip graphs $G$ of the square lattice with fixed width $L_y$ and arbitrarily great length $L_x$ with two types of boundary conditions. Letting $L_x \to \infty$, we compute the resultant free energy and complex-temperature phase diagram, including the locus ${\cal B}$ where the free energy is nonanalytic. Results are analyzed for widths $L_y=1,2,3$. We use these results to study the approach to the large-q limit of ${\cal B}$.