We give a new prescription for performing random walks in configuration space for lattice fermion problems. Imposing a suitable condition for the wave function on nodal boundaries in configuration space enables us to devise a generalization of the fixed-node quantum Monte Carlo method, as it has been developed for continuum problems. It does not suffer from the sign problem and provides upper bounds for the energy of different candidates for the ground state. We present new results for the Hubbard model off half filling as a demonstration of the method.

• Received 15 December 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.72.2442