On the relation between virial coefficients and the close-packing of hard disks and hard spheres

Exact equilibrium properties of square-well and square-shoulder disks in single-file confinement

This study investigates the (longitudinal) thermodynamic and structural characteristics of single-file confined square-well and square-shoulder disks by employing a mapping technique that transforms the original system into a one-dimensional polydisperse mixture of nonadditive rods. Leveraging standard statistical-mechanical techniques, exact results are derived for key properties, including the equation of state, internal energy, radial distribution function, and structure factor. The asymptotic behavior of the radial distribution function is explored, revealing structural changes in the spatial correlations. Additionally, exact analytical expressions for the second virial coefficient are presented. The theoretical results for the thermodynamic and structural properties are validated by our Monte Carlo simulations.

Equation of state of hard-disk fluids under single-file confinement

The exact transfer-matrix solution for the longitudinal equilibrium properties of the single-file hard-disk fluid is used to study the limiting low- and high-pressure behaviors analytically as functions of the pore width. In the low-pressure regime, the exact third and fourth virial coefficients are obtained, which involve single and double integrals, respectively. Moreover, we show that the standard irreducible diagrams do not provide a complete account of the virial coefficients in confined geometries. The asymptotic equation of state in the high-pressure limit is seen to present a simple pole at the close-packing linear density, as in the hard-rod fluid, but, in contrast to the latter case, the residue is 2. Since, for an arbitrary pressure, the exact transfer-matrix treatment requires the numerical solution of an eigenvalue integral equation, we propose here two simple approximations to the equation of state, with different complexity levels, and carry out an extensive assessment of their validity and practical convenience vs the exact solution and available computer simulations.

Virial coefficients of hard hyperspherocylinders in R^{4}: Influence of the aspect ratio

We provide second- to sixth-order virial coefficients of hard hyperspherocylinders in dependence on their aspect ratio ν. Virial coefficients of an anisotropic geometry in four dimensions are calculated employing an optimized Mayer-sampling algorithm. As the second virial coefficient of a hard particle is identical to its excluded hypervolume, the numerically obtained second virial coefficients can be compared to analytical relations for the excluded hypervolume based on geometric measures of the respective, convex geometry in dependence on its aspect ratio ν.

Optimal Mittag–Leffler Summation

A novel method of an optimal summation is developed that allows for calculating from small-variable asymptotic expansions the characteristic amplitudes for variables tending to infinity. The method is developed in two versions, as the self-similar Borel–Leroy or Mittag–Leffler summations. It is based on optimized self-similar iterated roots approximants applied to the Borel–Leroy and Mittag–Leffler- transformed series with the subsequent inverse transformations. As a result, simple and transparent expressions for the critical amplitudes are obtained in explicit form. The control parameters come into play from the Borel–Leroy and Mittag–Leffler transformations. They are determined from the optimization procedure, either from the minimal derivative or minimal difference conditions, imposed on the analytically expressed critical amplitudes. After diff-log transformation, virtually the same procedure can be applied to critical indices at infinity. The results are obtained for a number of various examples. The examples vary from a rapid growth of the coefficients to a fast decay, as well as intermediate cases. The methods give good estimates for the large-variable critical amplitudes and exponents. The Mittag–Leffler summation works uniformly well for a wider variety of examples.

Methods of Retrieving Large-Variable Exponents

Methods of determining, from small-variable asymptotic expansions, the characteristic exponents for variables tending to infinity are analyzed. The following methods are considered: diff-log Padé summation, self-similar factor approximation, self-similar diff-log summation, self-similar Borel summation, and self-similar Borel–Leroy summation. Several typical problems are treated. The comparison of the results shows that all these methods provide close estimates for the large-variable exponents. The reliable estimates are obtained when different methods of summation are compatible with each other.

Critical Indices and Self-Similar Power Transform

“Odd” factor approximants of the special form suggested by Gluzman and Yukalov (J. Math. Chem. 2006, 39, 47) are amenable to optimization by power transformation and can be successfully applied to critical phenomena. The approach is based on the idea that the critical index by itself should be optimized through the parameters of power transform to be calculated from the minimal sensitivity (derivative) optimization condition. The critical index is a product of the algebraic self-similar renormalization which contributes to the expressions the set of control parameters typical to the algebraic self-similar renormalization, and of the power transform which corrects them even further. The parameter of power transformation is, in a nutshell, the multiplier connecting the critical exponent and the correction-to-scaling exponent. We mostly study the minimal model of critical phenomena based on expansions with only two coefficients and critical points. The optimization appears to bring quite accurate, uniquely defined results given by simple formulas. Many important cases of critical phenomena are covered by the simple formula. For the longer series, the optimization condition possesses multiple solutions, and additional constraints should be applied. In particular, we constrain the sought solution by requiring it to be the best in prediction of the coefficients not employed in its construction. In principle, the error/measure of such prediction can be optimized by itself, with respect to the parameter of power transform. Methods of calculation based on optimized power-transformed factors are applied and results presented for critical indices of several key models of conductivity and viscosity of random media, swelling of polymers, permeability in two-dimensional channels. Several quantum mechanical problems are discussed as well.

Optimized Factor Approximants and Critical Index

Based on expansions with only two coefficients and known critical points, we consider a minimal model of critical phenomena. The method of analysis is both based on and inspired with the symmetry properties of functional self-similarity relation between the consecutive functional approximations. Factor approximants are applied together with various natural optimization conditions of non-perturbative nature. The role of control parameter is played by the critical index by itself. The minimal derivative condition imposed on critical amplitude appears to bring the most reasonable, uniquely defined results. The minimal difference condition also imposed on amplitudes produces upper and lower bound on the critical index. While one of the bounds is close to the result from the minimal difference condition, the second bound is determined by the non-optimized factor approximant. One would expect that for the minimal derivative condition to work well, the bounds determined by the minimal difference condition should be not too wide. In this sense the technique of optimization presented above is self-consistent, since it automatically supplies the solution and the bounds. In the case of effective viscosity of passive suspensions the bounds could be found that are too wide to make any sense from either of the solutions. Other optimization conditions imposed on the factor approximants, lead to better estimates for the critical index for the effective viscosity. The optimization is based on equating two explicit expressions following from two different definitions of the critical index, while optimization parameter is introduced as the trial third-order coefficient in the expansion.

Structural and thermodynamic properties of hard-sphere fluids

This Perspective article provides an overview of some of our analytical approaches to the computation of the structural and thermodynamic properties of single-component and multicomponent hard-sphere fluids. For the structural properties, they yield a thermodynamically consistent formulation, thus improving and extending the known analytical results of the Percus-Yevick theory. Approximate expressions linking the equation of state of the single-component fluid to the one of the multicomponent mixtures are also discussed.

Fifth to eleventh virial coefficients of hard spheres

Virial coefficients B(n) of three-dimensional hard spheres are reported for n=5 to 11, with precision exceeding that presently available in the literature. Calculations are performed using the recursive method due to Wheatley, and a binning approach is proposed to allow more flexibility in where computational effort is directed in the calculations. We highlight the difficulty as a general measure that quantifies performance of an algorithm that computes a stochastic average and show how it can be used as the basis for optimizing such calculations.

Calculation of high-order virial coefficients with applications to hard and soft spheres

A virial expansion of fluid pressure in powers of the density can be used to calculate a wealth of thermodynamic information, but the Nth virial coefficient, which multiplies the Nth power of the density in the expansion, becomes rapidly more complicated with increasing N. This Letter shows that the Nth virial coefficient can be calculated using a method that scales exponentially with N in computer time and memory. This is orders of magnitude more efficient than any existing method for large N, and the method is simple and general. New results are presented for N = 11 and 12 for hard spheres, and N = 9 and 10 for soft spheres.