An Introduction to Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics

Robert H. Swendsen is Professor of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University, where he works primarily in computational statistical mechanics. Professor Swendsen is a Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was given an IBM Outstanding Achievement Award in 1981 and shared a Forefronts of Large-Scale Computational Problems Award with S. Kumar, J.M. Rosenberg, and P.A. Kollman in 1991.

• PrefaceIntroduction1: Part 1 Entropy2: The Classical Ideal Gas3: Discrete Probability Theory4: The Classical Ideal Gas: Configurational Entropy5: Continuous Random Numbers6: The Classical Ideal Gas: Energy-Dependence of Entropy7: Classical Gasses: Ideal and Otherwise8: Temperature Pressure, Chemical Potential, and All ThatPart 2 Thermodynamics9: The Postulates and Laws of Thermodynamics10: Perturbations of Thermodynamic State Functions11: Thermodynamics Processes12: Thermodynamic Potentials13: The Consequences of Extensivity14: Thermodynamic Identities15: Extremum Principles16: Stability Conditions17: Phase Transitions18: The Nernst Postulate: the Third Law of ThermodynamicsPart 3 Classical Statistical Mechanics19: Ensembles in Classical Statistical Mechanics20: Classical Ensembles: Grand and Otherwise21: Refining the Definition of Entropy22: IrreversibilityPart 4 Quantum Statistical Mechanics23: Quantum Ensembles24: Quantum Canonical Ensemble25: Black-Body Radiation26: The Harmonic Solid27: Ideal Quantum Gases28: Bose-Einstein Statistics29: Fermi-Dirac Statistics30: Insulators and Semiconductors31: Phase Transitions and the Ising ModelAppendixAppendix: Computer Calculations and VPythonIndexIndexFree1: IntroductionIPart 1 Entropy2: Classical Ideal Gas3: Discrete probability theory4: Configurational entropy5: Continuous random numbers6: Classical ideal gas: Energy7: Ideal and "real" gases8: T, P, µ, and all thatIIPart 2 Thermodynamics9: Postulates and Laws of thermodynamics10: Thermodynamic perturbations11: Thermodynamic processes12: Thermodynamic potentials13: Extensivity14: Thermodynamic identities15: Extremum principles16: Stability conditions17: Phase transitions18: Nernst postulateIIIPart 3 Classical statistical mechanics19: Classical ensembles20: Classical ensembles: grand and otherwise21: IrreversibilityIVPart 4 Quantum statistical mechanics22: Quantum ensembles23: Quantum canoncial ensemble24: Black-body radiation25: The harmonic solid26: Ideal quantum gases27: Bose-Einstein statistics28: Fermi-Dirac statistics29: Insulators and semiconductors30: The Ising model

Review from previous edition In his innovative new text, Carnegie Mellon University physics professor Robert Swendsen presents the foundations of statistical mechanics with, as he puts it, a detour through thermodynamics. That's a desirable strategy because the statistical approach is more fundamental than the classical thermodynamics approach and has many applications to current research problems. [] The mathematical notation is carefully introduced and useful; the selected mathematical techniques are clearly explained in a conversational style that both graduate and advanced undergraduate students will find easy to follow. The author's subject organization and conceptual viewpoint address some of the shortcomings of conventional developments of thermal physics and will be helpful to students and researchers seeking a deep appreciation of statistical physics.