Elementary concepts in statistics and probability - The ising model and the lattice gas - Elements of thermodynamics - Statistical mechanics - The world of bosons - All about fermions : theories of metals, superconductors, semiconductors - Kinetic theory - The transfer matrix - Some uses of quantum field theory in statistical physics.

This second edition extends and improves on the first, illustrating through myriad examples, the principles and logic used in extending the simple laws of idealised Newtonian physics and quantum physics into the real world of noise and thermal fluctuations.

Statistical Mechanics discusses the fundamental concepts involved in understanding the physical properties of matter in bulk on the basis of the dynamical behavior of its microscopic constituents. The book emphasizes the equilibrium states of physical systems. The text first details the statistical basis of thermodynamics, and then proceeds to discussing the elements of ensemble theory. The next two chapters cover the canonical and grand canonical ensemble. Chapter 5 deals with the formulation of quantum statistics, while Chapter 6 talks about the theory of simple gases. Chapters 7 and 8 examine the ideal Bose and Fermi systems. In the next three chapters, the book covers the statistical mechanics of interacting systems, which includes the method of cluster expansions, pseudopotentials, and quantized fields. Chapter 12 discusses the theory of phase transitions, while Chapter 13 discusses fluctuations. The book will be of great use to researchers and practitioners from wide array of disciplines, such as physics, chemistry, and engineering.

This book is an elaboration of the author's lecture notes in a graduate course in statistical physics and thermodynamics, augmented by some material suitable for self-teaching as well as for undergraduate study. The first 4 or 5 chapters are suitable for an undergraduate course for engineers and physicists in Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics and include detailed study of the various ensembles and their connections to applied thermodynamics. The Debye law of specific heats and reasons for deviations from the Debye formulas are covered, as are the Einstein theories of Brownian motion, black-body radiation and specific heat of solids. Van der Waals gases and the reason for the apparent failure of his Law of Corresponding States are discussed. The last 5 chapters treat topics of recent interest to researchers, including: the Ising and Potts models, spin waves in ferromagnetic and anti-ferromagnetic media, sound propagation in non-ideal gases and the decay of sound waves, introduction to the understanding of glasses and spin glasses, superfluidity and superconductivity. The selection of material is wide-ranging and the mathematics for handling it completely self-contained, ranging from counting (probability theory) to quantum field theory as used in the study of fermions, bosons and as an adjunct in the solutions of the equations of classical diffusion-reaction theory. In addition to the standard material found in most recent books on statistical physics the constellation of topics covered in this text includes numerous original items: • Generalization of “negative temperature” to interacting spins • Derivation of Gibbs' factor from first principles • Exact free energy of interacting particles in 1D (e.g., classical and quantum Tonk's gas) • Introduction to virial expansions, Equations of State, Correlation Functions and “critical exponents” • Superfluidity in ideal and non-ideal fluids (both Bogolubov and Feynman theories) • Superconductivity: thermodynamical approach and the BCS theory • Derivation of “Central Limit Theorem” and its applications • Boltzmann's “H-Theorem” and the nonlinear Boltzmann equation • Exact solution of nonlinear Boltzmann Equation for electrons in time-dependent electric field and the derivation of Joule heating, transport parameters in crossed electric and magnetic fields, etc. • Frequency spectrum and decay of sound waves in gases • Exact evaluation of free energy and thermodynamic properties of the two-dimensional Ising model in regular and fully frustrated (spin-glass like) lattices • The “zipper” model of crystal fracture or polymer coagulation — calculation of Tc • Potts model in 2D: duality and Tc • “Doi's theory” of diffusion-limited chemical reactions with some exact results — including the evaluation of statistical fluctuations in radioactive decay • Thermodynamic Green Functions and their applications to fermions and bosons with an example drawn from random matrix theory and much more.

This book is an introduction to statistical mechanics, intended for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students.

Key features include an elementary introduction to probability, distribution functions, and uncertainty; a review of the concept and significance of energy; and various models of physical systems. 1968 edition.

The essential introduction to modern statistical mechanics—now completely updated and expanded Statistical mechanics is one of the most exciting areas of physics today and has applications to subjects ranging from economics and social behavior to algorithmic theory and evolutionary biology. Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell provides a self-contained introduction to this rapidly developing field. Starting with the basics of kinetic theory and requiring only a background in elementary calculus and mechanics, this concise book discusses the most important developments of recent decades and guides readers to the very threshold of today’s cutting-edge research. Features a new chapter on stochastic thermodynamics with an introduction to the thermodynamics of information—the first treatment of its kind in an introductory textbook Offers a more detailed account of numerical simulations, including simulated annealing and other accelerated Monte Carlo methods The chapter on complex systems now features an accessible introduction to the replica theory of spin glasses and the Hopfield theory of neural networks, with an emphasis on applications Provides a new discussion of defect-mediated transitions and their implications for two-dimensional melting An invaluable resource for graduate students and advanced undergraduates seeking a compact primer on the core ideas of statistical mechanics Solutions manual (available only to instructors)

In each generation, scientists must redefine their fields: abstracting, simplifying and distilling the previous standard topics to make room for new advances and methods. Sethna's book takes this step for statistical mechanics - a field rooted in physics and chemistry whose ideas and methods are now central to information theory, complexity, and modern biology. Aimed at advanced undergraduates and early graduate students in all of these fields, Sethna limits his main presentation to the topics that future mathematicians and biologists, as well as physicists and chemists, will find fascinating and central to their work. The amazing breadth of the field is reflected in the author's large supply of carefully crafted exercises, each an introduction to a whole field of study: everything from chaos through information theory to life at the end of the universe.

Isolated systems and thermal equilibrium -- Various reservoirs -- Probability and the general formalism -- Classical statistical mechanics -- Ideal systems -- Interacting particles -- Diagrammatic and functional expansions -- Pair functions -- Functional and perturbation theory -- Inhomogeneous systems -- Coulomb systems -- Computer simulations.

In a simple and accessible form, this book presents a unified approach to the physics of the liquid state, both in and out of equilibrium. It discerns, behind the seemingly anarchistic proliferation of phenomena observable in the liquid state, the sequence of causes and effects and, where appropriate, the underlying rules that preside over the general principles. The book begins by introducing the fundamental concepts of statistical mechanics, such as classical and quantum mechanics, probability theory, and the kinetic theory of gases, before moving on to discuss theoretical methods in order to contextualise the study of liquids. The last final section is devoted to ordering in complex fluids. It includes detailed technical notes and explicit calculations, and will appeal to graduate students in physics and chemistry. It will also be of interest the reader interested in statistical mechanics and their application to the physics of dense matter. This book will certainly become an indispensable reference for students and researchers who wish to become familiar with a multifaceted process looking towards new horizons.