UPDATING MONTE-CARLO ALGORITHMS

Using the long-range Ising model, we present modern Monte Carlo techni ques-single and multiple histogram and entropic sampling-which permit increasing the amount of information obtained from a simulation. Numer ical results for the density of states, mean energy and specific heat are compared with exact calculations, easily handled in this case, As a consequence of the simplicity of the model, the ability of those met hods to generate continuous plots of thermodynamical quantities can be appreciated even by students taking basic courses of statistical phys ics. (C) 1996 American Association of Physics Teachers.