hypercubic lattice graphs in dimensions d= 2 through 7, where edge weights are drawn from a distribution that allows for positive and negative weights. We are interested in the appearance of system-spanning loops of total negative weight. The resulting negative- weight percolation (NWP) problem is fundamentally different from conventional percolation, as we have seen in previous studies of this model for the two-dimensional case. Here, we …
By means of numerical simulations, we investigate the geometric properties of loops on hypercubic lattice graphs in dimensions through 7, where edge weights are drawn from a distribution that allows for positive and negative weights. We are interested in the appearance of system-spanning loops of total negative weight. The resulting negative-weight percolation (NWP) problem is fundamentally different from conventional percolation, as we have seen in previous studies of this model for the two-dimensional case. Here, we characterize the transition for hypercubic systems, where the aim of the present study is to get a grip on the upper critical dimension of the NWP problem. For the numerical simulations, we employ a mapping of the NWP model to a combinatorial optimization problem that can be solved exactly by using sophisticated matching algorithms. We characterize the loops via observables similar to those in percolation theory and perform finite-size scaling analyses, e.g., three-dimensional hypercubic systems with side length up to sites, in order to estimate the critical properties of the NWP phenomenon. We find our numerical results consistent with an upper critical dimension for the NWP problem.