The fermion sign problem: A new decoupling transformation, and a new simulation algorithm

Abstract

We discuss the Fermion sign problem and, by examining a very general Hubbard-Stratonovich (HS) transformation, argue that the sign problem cannot be solved with such methods. We propose a different kind of transformation which, while not solving the sign problem, shows more detailed information about the system. With our transformation it is {\it trivial} to tell which auxiliary field configurations give a positive sign and which give a negative sign. We then discuss briefly various properties of this transformation and construct a new algorithm which with one simulation gives results for a whole range of particle densities and Hubbard $U$ values, positive and negative. Our approach is in excellent agreement with exact calculations.