4.

3 Hubbard Model 161

lattice; such commensurability effects can arise only in lattice models13.

A quite different class of models is that of continuum models in which an
interacting electron fluid is moving on a uniform background of positive
charge. Interaction effects in continuum models have been extensively
studied [327, 90, 2571, culminating in the development of Fermi liquid
theory. It is reasonable to expect that at low band fillings, the lattice
models behave like continuum models. Even the typical strong corre-
lation features (heavy mass, etc.) found in the immediate vicinity of
n = 1 for the Hubbard model can be reformulated in the Fermi liquid
terminology [431]. We will, however, confine our interest to the lattice
models.

4.3.1 Local Basis

The Hubbard model is a four-state model, in the sense that each lattice
site can be found in any of the following four local basis states:

l0)j site j is empty (4.18)

I ?)j = CJtl0)j site j occupied by an ?-electron (4.19)

I ?)j = c1410)j site j occupied by an $-electron (4.20)

Id)j = citcj410)j site j is doubly occupied (4.21)

The definition of Id) fixes a convention about the order of the two cre-
ation operators. Merely saying that the site is doubly occupied would be
ambiguous: it could also be understood to mean ci4clt[O) = -cjtc]410) =
-Id).
We will find it useful to introduce the corresponding local projectors
Pj, = 1O)j j(Ol = (1 - fijt)(l- fijjl) (4.22)

Pjf = I T>j j(t 1 = fijt(1- fij4) (4.23)

44 = I J->jj($ I = fijjl(1- fij?) (4.24)

"This statement seems to be contradicted with the finding of an incompressible
Laughlin state at v = 1/3 in a continuum model (Sec. 12.4.1). We can, however,
argue that there the external magnetic field gave rise to a length scale, and thus to
the possibility of magic values of filling.