Interacting growth walk: a model for generating compact self-avoiding walks.

We propose an algorithm based on local growth rules for kinetically generating self-avoiding walk configurations at any given temperature. This algorithm, called the interacting growth walk (IGW) model, does not suffer from attrition on a square lattice at zero temperature, in contrast to the existing algorithms. More importantly, the IGW model facilitates growing compact configurations at lower temperatures--a feature that makes it attractive for studying a variety of processes such as the folding of proteins. We demonstrate that our model correctly describes the collapse transition of a homopolymer in two dimensions.