  We introduce a general analytic approach to the study of factorization points
and factorized ground states in quantum cooperative systems. The method allows
to determine rigorously existence, location, and exact form of separable ground
states in a large variety of, generally non-exactly solvable, spin models
belonging to different universality classes. The theory applies to
translationally invariant systems, irrespective of spatial dimensionality, and
for spin-spin interactions of arbitrary range.
