Abstract
We compare two recently proposed methods for the characterization of phase transitions in small systems. The validity and usefulness of these approaches are studied for the cases of the and Potts model, i.e., systems where a thermodynamic limit and exact results exist. Guided by this analysis we then discuss the helix-coil transition in polyalanine, an example of structural transitions in biological molecules.
- Received 3 October 2001
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.65.036110
©2002 American Physical Society