Abstract
I study the four-dimensional Z(2) gauge theory with asymmetric couplings (
β
1 for the
xy,
xz,
xt plaquettes and
β
2 for the
yz,
yt,
zt plaquettes) by Monte Carlo simulation. A rich phase structure is found in the
β
1,
β
2 plane. In particular, there are lines of second order transitions that meet in a tri-critical point at which a four-dimensional Lorentz invariant continuum limit might exist. Further, the limit
β
1 → ∞,
β
2 → 0 for which the hamiltonian theory is obtained, is found to be the end-point of a line of first order transitions. The prediction therefore is that the hamiltonian formulation of this theory has a second order phase transition with infinite correlation length.