Absence of Ordering in Certain Classical Systems

A classical inequality giving lower bounds for fluctuations about ordered states is derived. The inequality, analogous to a quantum result due to Bogoliubov, is established by a purely classical argument which makes explicit the nature of the surface boundary conditions required, a point which is rather obscure in the quantum derivations. As in the quantum case the inequality is useful in excluding certain kinds of phase transitions in one- and two-dimensional systems. This is illustrated for several kinds of classical spin systems.