Eigenvalue crossing as a phase transition in relaxation dynamics

When a system’s parameter is abruptly changed, a relaxation towards the new equilibrium of the system follows. We show that a crossing between the second and third eigenvalues of the relaxation matrix results in a relaxation trajectory singularity, which is analogous to a first-order equilibrium phase transition. We demonstrate this in a minimal 4-state system and in the thermodynamic limit of the 1D Ising model.