Foundations of classical and quantum statistical mechanics: by R. Jancel. 408 pages, diagrams, 514 × 812 in. Oxford, England, New York, Pergamon Press Ltd., 1969. Price, $16.00

✍ Scribed by Clark E Carroll

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1970
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 97 KB
• Volume: 289
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0016-0032
• DOI: 10.1016/0016-0032(70)90209-7

✦ Synopsis

The foundations of statistical mechanics have been discussed for one hundred years, and the controversies about them are more apparent than the century of progress. There are a few basic rules to set up calculations in statistical physics, and at least the ensembles for equilibrium situations are well established. It should be possible to justify these rules, or at least these ensembles, by sound physical or mathematical arguments. But some points are still unsett,led or obscure. Jancel's book is about recent developments in this field; and, after a lapse of six years, it has been translated into English and brought to our attention. This book describes the specific difficulties in justifying the methods of statistical mechanics, and its existence emphasizes that such difficulties exist. It will be valuable to those who worry about the foundations of statistical mechanics. The physicist is interested in the results of calculation and their comparison with experiment. Such things are omitted from this book. And the older arguments for the methods of statistical mechanics are given briefly or not at all. The restricted scope of this book is mentioned here, because it is not indicated on the title page, and this book cannot serve as an introduction to statistical mechanics. The principles of the subject are better stated elsewhere ; for example, the books of