The PHMC algorithm for simulations of dynamical fermions: II - Performance analysis

We compare the performance of the PHMC algorithm with the one of the HMC algorithm in practical simulations of lattice QCD. We show that the PHMC algorithm can lead to an acceleration of numerical simulations. It is demonstrated that the PHMC algorithm generates configurations carrying small isolated eigenvalues of the lattice Dirac operator and hence leads to a sampling of configuration space that is different from that of the HMC algorithm.