Computer Simulation Studies in Condensed-Matter Physics XI

Book excerpt: More than a decade ago, because of the phenomenal growth in the power of computer simulations, The University of Georgia formed the first institutional unit devoted to the use of simulations in research and teaching: The Center for Simulational Physics. As the simulations community expanded further, we sensed a need for a meeting place for both experienced simulators and neophytes to discuss new techniques and recent results in an environment which promoted extended discussion. As a consequence, the Center for Simulational Physics established an annual workshop on Recent Developments in Computer Simulation Studies in Condensed Matter Physics. This year's workshop was the eleventh in this series, and the interest shown by the scientific community demonstrates quite clearly the useful purpose which the series has served. The latest workshop was held at The University of Georgia, February 23-27, 1998, and these proceedings provide a "status report" on a number of important topics. This volume is published with the goal of timely dissemination of the material to a wider audience. We wish to offer a special thanks to IBM Corporation for their generous support of this year's workshop. This volume contains both invited papers and contributed presentations on problems in both classical and quantum condensed matter physics. We hope that each reader will benefit from specialized results as well as profit from exposure to new algorithms, methods of analysis, and conceptual developments. Athens, GA, U. S. A. D. P. Landau April 1998 H-B.