  Tensor network decompositions offer an efficient description of certain
many-body states of a lattice system and are the basis of a wealth of numerical
simulation algorithms. In a recent paper [arXiv:0907.2994v1] we discussed how
to incorporate a global internal symmetry, given by a compact, completely
reducible group G, into tensor network decompositions and algorithms. Here we
specialize to the case of Abelian groups and, for concreteness, to a U(1)
symmetry, often associated with particle number conservation. We consider
tensor networks made of tensors that are invariant (or covariant) under the
symmetry, and explain how to decompose and manipulate such tensors in order to
exploit their symmetry. In numerical calculations, the use of U(1) symmetric
tensors allows selection of a specific number of particles, ensures the exact
preservation of particle number, and significantly reduces computational costs.
We illustrate all these points in the context of the multi-scale entanglement
renormalization ansatz.
