Symmetric-group algebraic variational solutions for Heisenberg models at finite temperature

The Heisenberg spin Hamiltonian for a collection of N spin-1/2 sites is viewed, as favored by Professor Matsen, to be an element of the group algebra of the symmetric group 𝒮_N. Several computationally tractable, variational group–algebraic approximations for the finite-temperature density matrix are made so as to minimize the Gibb's free–energy functional. Relations to previous quite differently motivated approximations are identified, though improvements are noted with the present approach.