Faster Monte Carlo simulations at low temperatures. The waiting time method

We discuss a rejectionless global optimization technique which, while being technically similar to the recently introduced method of Extremal Optimization, still relies on a physical analogy with a thermalizing system. This method can be used at constant temperature or combined with annealing techniques, and is especially well suited for studying the low temperature relaxation of complex systems as glasses and spin glasses. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.