A change in a feature that characterizes a system. Examples of phase transitions are changes from solid to liquid, liquid to gas, and the reverse changes. Other examples of phase transitions include the transition from a paramagnet to a ferromagnet (see magnetism) and the transition from a normally conducting metal to a superconductor. Phase transitions can occur by altering such variables as temperature and pressure.
Phase transitions can be classified by their order. If there is nonzero latent heat at the transition it is said to be a first-order transition. If the latent heat is zero it is said to be a second-order transition.
Some models describing phase transitions, particularly in low-dimensional systems, are amenable to exact mathematical solutions. An effective technique for understanding phase transitions is the renormalization group since it can deal with problems involving different length-scales, including the feature of universality, in which very different physical systems behave in the same way near a phase transition. See also renormalization group; transition point; broken symmetry; early universe.