This contribution is a review of the deep and powerful connection between the large-scale properties of critical systems and their description in terms of a field theory. Although largely applicable to many other models, the details of this connection are illustrated in the class of two-dimensional Abelian sandpile models. Bulk and boundary height variables, spanning tree–related observables, boundary conditions, and dissipation are all discussed in this context and found to have a proper match in the field theoretic description.
I investigate the nature of the upper critical dimension for isotropic conservative sandpile models and calculate the emerging logarithmic corrections to power-law distributions. I check the results experimentally using the case of Manna model with the theoretical solution known for all statement starting from the two-dimensional one. In addition, based on this solution, I construct a non-trivial super-universal indicator for this model. It characterizes the distribution of avalanches by time the border of their region needs to pass its width.
Sandpile models exhibit fascinating pattern structures: patches, characterized by quadratic functions, and line-shaped patterns (also called solitons, webs, or linear defects). It was predicted by Dhar and Sadhu that sandpile patterns with line-like features may be described in terms of tropical geometry. We explain the main ideas and technical tools—tropical geometry and discrete superharmonic functions—used to rigorously establish certain properties of these patterns. It seems that the aforementioned tools have great potential for generalization and application in a variety of situations.
Emergence of oscillations in fixed-energy sandpile models on complex networks
