Wang and Landau Algorithm - Overview

Overview

The Wang and Landau algorithm is used to obtain the density of states of a system characterized by a cost function. It uses a non-markovian stochastic process which asymptotically converges to a multicanonical ensemble. I.e. to a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm with sampling distribution inverse to the density of states. The major consequence is that this sampling distribution leads to a simulation where the energy barriers are invisible. This means that the algorithm visits all the accessible states (favorable and less favorable) much faster than a metropolis algorithm.