Statistical mechanics: Entropy, order parameters, and complexity

✍ Scribed by James P Sethna

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 371
• Series: Oxford master series in statistical, computational, and theoretical physics
• Edition: draft
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This completely revised edition of the classical book on Statistical Mechanics covers the basic concepts of equilibrium and non-equilibrium statistical physics. In addition to a deductive approach to equilibrium statistics and thermodynamics based on a single hypothesis this book treats the most important elements of non-equilibrium phenomena. Intermediate calculations are presented in complete detail. Problems at the end of each chapter help students to consolidate their understanding of the material. Beyond the fundamentals, this text demonstrates the breadth of the field and its great variety of applications Sethna distills the core ideas of statistical mechanics to make room for new advances important to information theory, complexity, and modern biology. He explores everything from chaos through to life at the end of the universe. What is statistical mechanics? -- Random walks with emergent properties. -- Temperature and equilibrium. -- Phase-space dynamics and ergodicity. -- Entropy. -- Free energies. -- Quantum statistical mechanics. -- Calculation and computation. -- Order parameters, broken symmetry, and topology. -- Correlations, response, and dissipation. -- Abrupt phase transitions. -- Continuous phase transitions. -- Appendix: Fourier methods