Improved Monte Carlo methods for fermions

We describe an improved version of the Kuti-Von Neumann-Ulam algorithm useful for fermion contributions in lattice field theories. This is done by sampling the Neumann series for the propagator, which may be thought of as a sum over a set of weighted paths between two points on the lattice. Rather than selecting paths by a locally determined random walk, we average over sets of paths globally preselected for their importance in evaluating the few needed elements of the inverse. We also describe a method for the calculation of ratios of fermion determinants which is considerably less time consuming than the conventional one. (orig.)