Alright Mastodon, let’s start a thread: what are the best introductory references on tensor networks for a good second year PhD student? Asking for a friend who’s starting out; give me all you got. Specifically looking for intros geared towards 1D and 2D gapped phases in condensed matter physics with detailed discussion of numerics if possible. Good PhD theses get bonus points.

@JoshuahHeath There are a ton of great intro materials for tensor network methods, but the nitty gritty details of numerics and physics is harder. Still:
The classic (MPS and DMRG focussed, but great first intro): https://arxiv.org/abs/1008.3477
Talking a bit more about PEPS: https://arxiv.org/abs/1306.2164

Tenpy has some great educational toycode examples (and is overall great library) https://tenpy.readthedocs.io/en/latest/toycodes/a_mps.html
my phd thesis though it is probably more like a summary of all of the above: https://arxiv.org/abs/2210.11130

The density-matrix renormalization group in the age of matrix product states

The density-matrix renormalization group method (DMRG) has established itself over the last decade as the leading method for the simulation of the statics and dynamics of one-dimensional strongly correlated quantum lattice systems. In the further development of the method, the realization that DMRG operates on a highly interesting class of quantum states, so-called matrix product states (MPS), has allowed a much deeper understanding of the inner structure of the DMRG method, its further potential and its limitations. In this paper, I want to give a detailed exposition of current DMRG thinking in the MPS language in order to make the advisable implementation of the family of DMRG algorithms in exclusively MPS terms transparent. I then move on to discuss some directions of potentially fruitful further algorithmic development: while DMRG is a very mature method by now, I still see potential for further improvements, as exemplified by a number of recently introduced algorithms.

arXiv.org