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Main Authors: Aarts, Gert, Sexty, Dénes
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.24290
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author Aarts, Gert
Sexty, Dénes
author_facet Aarts, Gert
Sexty, Dénes
contents The sign problem obstructs the determination of the QCD phase diagram in the temperature-baryon chemical potential plane using lattice QCD. We review the sign problem in QCD and related field theories, including applications to real-time dynamics. We focus on approaches where the sign problem can potentially be solved or controlled, irrespective of its severeness. These include holomorphic extensions -- Lefschetz thimbles, holomorphic flow, contour deformations, and complex Langevin dynamics --, and the introduction of new degrees of freedom -- dual variables and the tensor renormalisation group. We also highlight directions in which machine learning approaches have shown promise. Since many methods are first tested in simpler models, we provide an outlook on their feasibility for lattice systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_24290
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Lattice field theories with a sign problem
Aarts, Gert
Sexty, Dénes
High Energy Physics - Lattice
The sign problem obstructs the determination of the QCD phase diagram in the temperature-baryon chemical potential plane using lattice QCD. We review the sign problem in QCD and related field theories, including applications to real-time dynamics. We focus on approaches where the sign problem can potentially be solved or controlled, irrespective of its severeness. These include holomorphic extensions -- Lefschetz thimbles, holomorphic flow, contour deformations, and complex Langevin dynamics --, and the introduction of new degrees of freedom -- dual variables and the tensor renormalisation group. We also highlight directions in which machine learning approaches have shown promise. Since many methods are first tested in simpler models, we provide an outlook on their feasibility for lattice systems.
title Lattice field theories with a sign problem
topic High Energy Physics - Lattice
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.24290