Lee–Yang theory
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In statistical mechanics, Lee–Yang theory, sometimes also known as Yang–Lee theory, is a scientific theory which seeks to describe phase transitions in large physical systems in the thermodynamic limit based on the properties of small, finite-size systems. The theory revolves around the complex zeros of partition functions of finite-size systems and how these may reveal the existence of phase transitions in the thermodynamic limit.[1][2]
Lee–Yang theory constitutes an indispensable part of the theories of phase transitions. Originally developed for the Ising model, the theory has been extended and applied to a wide range of models and phenomena, including protein folding,[3] percolation,[4] complex networks,[5] and molecular zippers.[6]
The theory is named after the Nobel laureates Tsung-Dao Lee and Yang Chen-Ning,[7][8] who were awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics for their unrelated work on parity non-conservation in weak interaction.[9]