An Introduction to Quantum Monte Carlo Methods

Monte Carlo methods have been very prominent in computer simulation of various systems in physics, chemistry, biology, and materials science. This book focuses on the diffusion and path-integral quantum Monte Carlo methods in many-body physics and provides a concise but complete introduction to the Metropolis algorithm and its applications in these two techniques. To explore the schemes in clarity, several quantum many-body systems are analyzed and studied in detail. The book includes exercises to help digest the materials covered. It can be used as a tutorial to learn the diffusion and path-integral Monte Carlo or a recipe for developing new research in reader’s own area. Two complete Java programs, one for the diffusion Monte Carlo of 4He clusters on a graphite surface and the other for the path-integral Monte Carlo of cold atoms in a potential trap, are ready for download and adoption.