Inapproximability of the Partition Function for the Antiferromagnetic Ising and Hard-Core Models

Recent inapproximability results of Sly (2010), together with an approximation algorithm presented by Weitz (2006) establish a beautiful picture for the computational complexity of approximating the partition function of the hard-core model. Let $λ_c(T_Δ)$ denote the critical activity for the hard-model on the infinite $Δ$-regular tree. Weitz presented an FPTAS for the partition function when $λ<λ_c(T_Δ)$ for graphs with constant maximum degree $Δ$. In contrast, Sly showed that for all $Δ\geq 3$, there exists $ε_Δ>0$ such that (unless RP=NP) there is no FPRAS for approximating the partition function on graphs of maximum degree $Δ$ for activities $λ$ satisfying $λ_c(T_Δ)<λ<λ_c(T_Δ)+ε_Δ$. We prove that a similar phenomenon holds for the antiferromagnetic Ising model. Recent results of Li et al. and Sinclair et al. extend Weitz's approach to any 2-spin model, which includes the antiferromagnetic Ising model, to yield an FPTAS for the partition function for all graphs of constant maximum degree $Δ$ when the parameters of the model lie in the uniqueness regime of the infinite tree $T_Δ$. We prove the complementary result that for the antiferrogmanetic Ising model without external field that, unless RP=NP, for all $Δ\geq 3$, there is no FPRAS for approximating the partition function on graphs of maximum degree $Δ$ when the inverse temperature lies in the non-uniqueness regime of the infinite tree $T_Δ$. Our results extend to a region of the parameter space for general 2-spin models. Our proof works by relating certain second moment calculations for random $Δ$-regular bipartite graphs to the tree recursions used to establish the critical points on the infinite tree.

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