Reflection symmetry in mean-field replica-symmetric spin glasses

The role of reflection symmetry for the character of the appearance of replica-symmetric spin glass state is investigated. It is shown that if in the pure system the transition to the ordered phase is of the second order, then in the corresponding random system the glass regime appears as a result of a phase transition; if the transition in the pure system is of the first order, then in the random system the replica-symmetric glass order parameter grows continuously on cooling; the transition to a nonergodic low-temperature phase is associated with replica symmetry breaking. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]