The Kadanoff lowerbound renormalization transformation for the q-state Potts model

The Kadanoff lowerbound renormalization transformation when applied to the 2-dimensional q-state Potts model, is found to show a bifurcation phenomenon at q = 4, that might be considered as signalling the onset to the first-order transition. At the value of the free parameter where the bifurcation is found, the specific heat exponent takes almost the value predicted by weak universality α(4) = 23, while the cross-over exponent in the Potts-lattice gas direction becomes marginal. The cross-over exponent in the cubic direction is found already to be irrelevant for q > 3.3. Further a duality relation for a class of models obtained by a partial breaking of the Potts symmetry in the hamiltonian, including the cubic model is derived.