Faster Monte Carlo Simulations at Low Temperatures. The Waiting Time Method

Abstract

We discuss a rejectionless global optimization technique which, while being technically similar to the recently introduced method of Extremal Optimization, still relies on a physical analogy with a thermalizing system. Our waiting time method (WTM) is mathematically equivalent to the usual Metropolis algorithm, but considerably more efficient at low temperatures. The WTM can be used at constant temperature or it can be combined with annealing techniques. It is especially well suited for studying the low temperature relaxation of complex systems as glasses and spin glasses. In the paper we describe the method and test it on a spin glass example by comparing its performance to Extremal Optimization.