English

Resolving Spurious Multifractality in Discrete Systems: A Finite-Size Scaling Protocol for MFDFA in the 2D Ising Model

Statistical Mechanics 2026-04-01 v2

Abstract

Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (MFDFA) has emerged as a standard tool for characterizing scale invariance in complex systems, yet its application to discrete spin models is frequently marred by reports of ``spurious multifractality'' that contradict established theory. In this work, we resolve this controversy by establishing a rigorous protocol for the analysis of discrete lattice snapshots. Using the 2D Ising model as a benchmark, we demonstrate that the previously reported broad singularity spectra \cite{Ludescher2011} are finite-size artifacts dominated by lattice discreteness effects in the negative moment regime (q<0q<0). By restricting the analysis to positive moments and performing a systematic Finite-Size Scaling (FSS) analysis, we show that the spectral width collapses to zero (Δα0\Delta \alpha \to 0) in the thermodynamic limit. The method accurately recovers the monofractal exponent of the Ising universality class (αH0.875\alpha \approx H \approx 0.875), consistent with Conformal Field Theory. To validate the discriminatory power of this protocol, we contrast these findings with the Random Bond Ising Model (RBIM), showing that quenched disorder induces a genuine, broad multifractal spectrum (Δα0.23\Delta \alpha \approx 0.23) that survives scaling. Furthermore, we propose a theoretical interpretation where the MFDFA polynomial detrending functions as a phenomenological Renormalization Group filter, suppressing analytic background fields (irrelevant operators) to isolate the singular critical behavior. These results define a robust methodology for distinguishing between clean and disorder-dominated criticality in finite systems.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2603.04609,
  title  = {Resolving Spurious Multifractality in Discrete Systems: A Finite-Size Scaling Protocol for MFDFA in the 2D Ising Model},
  author = {Sebastian Jaroszewicz and Nahuel Mendez and Maria P. Beccar-Varela and Maria Cristina Mariani},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.04609},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

v2: Major revisions. Additional methodological details and clarifications added