Self-Avoiding Random Walk Simulation

This project simulates self-avoiding random walks (SARW) on a 2D square lattice. It analyzes walk lengths, dead-end occurrences, and distance from the origin over multiple simulations.

Features

• Simulates self-avoiding random walks on a square grid of size L x L.
• Implements periodic and standard boundary conditions.
• Saves simulation data in .dat files:
  • positions.dat – positions of the first walk.
  • averages.dat – average distance from origin over multiple walks.
  • distance.dat – squared distance vs. time for short walks.
  • probability.dat – probability distribution of walk lengths.
• Generates plots in PDF using gnuplot:
  • walk.pdf, averageR.pdf, distance.pdf, prob.pdf.
• Counts distinct walks and rotation-invariant walks.

Requirements

• C compiler (e.g., gcc)
• gnuplot installed for plotting

Optional: Python with matplotlib if you want to create plots without gnuplot.

Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/self_avoiding_random_walk.git
cd self_avoiding_random_walk

Compile the program:

gcc -o selfa_random_walk src/selfa_random_walk.c -lm

Usage

Run the simulation:

./selfa_random_walk

• The program will generate .dat files in the data/ folder.
• PDF plots will be created in the plots/ folder (if gnuplot is installed).

Output

• positions.dat – trajectory of the first simulated walk.
• averages.dat – average squared distance vs. attempt number.
• distance.dat – short-time squared distance from origin.
• probability.dat – probability of walks ending at a certain length.
• PDF plots – visualizations of the data for quick inspection.

Repository Structure

self_avoiding_random_walk/
│
├── src/           # C source code
│   └─ selfa_random_walk.c
├── data/          # Simulation output (.dat)
├── plots/         # Generated plots (.pdf)
├── README.md
└── LICENSE

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License – see the LICENSE file for details.