Why is it interesting?

The Ising model is the simplest model with a critical point and thus ideal to understand notions like critical exponents and the renormalization group in a simplified setup.

Layman

Student

The best introduction can be found in Critical point phenomena: universal physics at large length scales by Bruce, A.; Wallace, D. published in the book The new physics, edited by P. Davies

It was originally devised as a simplified model of a ferromagnet, but is applicable also in a much broader sense. There is no need to refer to any ferromagnetic setup, but instead the Ising model can be defined completely general.

Source: Where do quantum field theories come from? by McGreevy

Researcher

Common Question 1

Common Question 2

Examples

Example1

Example2:

History