Skip to main content
Log in

The Sherrington-Kirkpatrick Model: An Overview

  • Published:
Journal of Statistical Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to review some of the main ideas that emerged from the attempts to confirm mathematically the predictions of the celebrated Parisi ansatz in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. We try to focus on the big picture while sketching the proofs of only a few selected results, but an interested reader can find most of the missing details in Panchenko (The Sherrington-Kirkpatrick Model, Manuscript, 2012) and Talagrand (Mean-Field Models for Spin Glasses, Springer, Berlin, 2011).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Aizenman, M., Contucci, P.: On the stability of the quenched state in mean-field spin-glass models. J. Stat. Phys. 92(5–6), 765–783 (1998)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Aizenman, M., Sims, R., Starr, S.L.: An extended variational principle for the SK spin-glass model. Phys. Rev. B 68, 214403 (2003)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Arguin, L.-P., Aizenman, M.: On the structure of quasi-stationary competing particles systems. Ann. Probab. 37(3), 1080–1113 (2009)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  4. Arguin, L.-P., Chatterjee, S.: Random overlap structures: properties and applications to spin glasses. Probab. Theory Relat. Fields (2012). doi:10.1007/s00440-012-0431-6. arXiv:1011.1823

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Bolthausen, E., Sznitman, A.-S.: On Ruelle’s probability cascades and an abstract cavity method. Commun. Math. Phys. 197(2), 247–276 (1998)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Bovier, A., Kurkova, I.: Derrida’s generalized random energy models. I. Models with finitely many hierarchies. Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré Probab. Stat. 40(4), 439–480 (2004)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. Carmona, P., Hu, Y.: Universality in Sherrington-Kirkpatrick’s spin glass model. Ann. Inst. Henri Poincaré Probab. Stat. 42(2), 215–222 (2006)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Contucci, P., Giardina, C.: Spin-glass stochastic stability: a rigorous proof. Ann. Henri Poincaré 6(5), 915–923 (2005)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. de Dominicis, C., Hilhorst, H.: Random (free) energies in spin glasses. J. Phys. Lett. 46, L909–L914 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Derrida, B.: Random-energy model: limit of a family of disordered models. Phys. Rev. Lett. 45(2), 79–82 (1980)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Derrida, B.: Random-energy model: an exactly solvable model of disordered systems. Phys. Rev. B (3) 24(5), 2613–2626 (1981)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Derrida, B.: A generalization of the random energy model that includes correlations between the energies. J. Phys. Lett. 46, 401–407 (1985)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Derrida, B., Gardner, E.: Solution of the generalised random energy model. J. Phys. C 19, 2253–2274 (1986)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Derrida, B., Toulouse, G.: Sample to sample fluctuations in the random energy model. J. Phys. Lett. 46, L223–L228 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Dovbysh, L.N., Sudakov, V.N.: Gram-de Finetti matrices. Zap. Nauch. Semin. Leningr. Otdel. Mat. Inst. Steklov. 119, 77–86 (1982)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. Ghirlanda, S., Guerra, F.: General properties of overlap probability distributions in disordered spin systems. Towards Parisi ultrametricity. J. Phys. A 31(46), 9149–9155 (1998)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Guerra, F.: Broken replica symmetry bounds in the mean field spin glass model. Commun. Math. Phys. 233(1), 1–12 (2003)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. Guerra, F., Toninelli, F.L.: The thermodynamic limit in mean field spin glass models. Commun. Math. Phys. 230(1), 71–79 (2002)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  19. Kingman, J.F.C.: Poisson Processes. Oxford University Press, New York (1993)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Mézard, M., Parisi, G., Sourlas, N., Toulouse, G., Virasoro, M.A.: On the nature of the spin-glass phase. Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 1156 (1984)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Mézard, M., Parisi, G., Sourlas, N., Toulouse, G., Virasoro, M.A.: Replica symmetry breaking and the nature of the spin-glass phase. J. Phys. 45, 843 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Mézard, M., Parisi, G., Virasoro, M.A.: Spin Glass Theory and Beyond. World Scientific Lecture Notes in Physics, vol. 9. World Scientific, Teaneck (1987)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  23. Panchenko, D.: A question about the Parisi functional. Electron. Commun. Probab. 10, 155–166 (2005)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  24. Panchenko, D.: On the Dovbysh-Sudakov representation result. Electron. Commun. Probab. 15, 330–338 (2010)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  25. Panchenko, D.: A connection between Ghirlanda-Guerra identities and ultrametricity. Ann. Probab. 38(1), 327–347 (2010)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  26. Panchenko, D.: The Ghirlanda-Guerra identities for mixed p-spin model. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 348, 189–192 (2010)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  27. Panchenko, D.: Ghirlanda-Guerra identities and ultrametricity: an elementary proof in the discrete case. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 349, 813–816 (2011)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  28. Panchenko, D.: The Parisi ultrametricity conjecture. arXiv:1112.1003 (2011)

  29. Panchenko, D.: The Parisi formula for mixed p-spin models. arXiv:1112.4409 (2011)

  30. Panchenko, D.: A unified stability property in spin glasses. Commun. Math. Phys. 313(3), 781–790 (2012)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  31. Panchenko, D.: The Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. Manuscript (2012)

  32. Parisi, G.: Infinite number of order parameters for spin-glasses. Phys. Rev. Lett. 43, 1754–1756 (1979)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. Parisi, G.: A sequence of approximate solutions to the S-K model for spin glasses. J. Phys. A 13, L-115 (1980)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Parisi, G.: Order parameter for spin glasses. Phys. Rev. Lett. 50, 1946 (1983)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  35. Pastur, L.A., Shcherbina, M.V.: Absence of self-averaging of the order parameter in the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model. J. Stat. Phys. 62(1–2), 1–19 (1991)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. Ruelle, D.: A mathematical reformulation of Derrida’s REM and GREM. Commun. Math. Phys. 108(2), 225–239 (1987)

    Article  MathSciNet  ADS  MATH  Google Scholar 

  37. Sherrington, D., Kirkpatrick, S.: Solvable model of a spin glass. Phys. Rev. Lett. 35, 1792–1796 (1975)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. Talagrand, M.: Gaussian averages, Bernoulli averages, and Gibbs’ measures. Random Struct. Algorithms 21(3–4), 197–204 (2002)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  39. Talagrand, M.: Spin Glasses: A Challenge for Mathematicians. Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete. 3. Folge (A Series of Modern Surveys in Mathematics), vol. 43. Springer, Berlin (2003)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  40. Talagrand, M.: On Guerra’s broken replica-symmetry bound. C. R. Math. Acad. Sci. Paris 337(7), 477–480 (2003)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  41. Talagrand, M.: Parisi measures. J. Funct. Anal. 231(2), 269–286 (2006)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  42. Talagrand, M.: The Parisi formula. Ann. Math. (2) 163(1), 221–263 (2006)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  43. Talagrand, M.: Construction of pure states in mean-field models for spin glasses. Probab. Theory Relat. Fields 148(3–4), 601–643 (2010)

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  44. Talagrand, M.: Mean-Field Models for Spin Glasses. Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete. 3. Folge (A Series of Modern Surveys in Mathematics), vols. 54, 55. Springer, Berlin (2011)

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dmitry Panchenko.

Additional information

The author is partially supported by NSF grant.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Panchenko, D. The Sherrington-Kirkpatrick Model: An Overview. J Stat Phys 149, 362–383 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-012-0586-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-012-0586-7

Keywords

Navigation