Statistical Physics

Claudine Hermann received her education at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Jeunes Filles, and is vice-director of the Physics of Condensed Matter Laboratory of the Ecole Polytechnique, where she is also professor at the physics department. She conducts research in solid-state physics, optical pumping in semiconductors, photoemission of polarized electrons, and near-field optics.

• Statistical Description of Large Systems. Postulates of Statistical Physics.- The Different Statistical Ensembles. General Methods in Statistical Physics.- Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics in Equilibrium.- The Ideal Gas.- Indistinguishability, the Pauli Principle (Quantum Mechanics).- General Properties of the Quantum Statistics.- Free Fermions Properties.- Elements of Bands Theory and Crystal Conductivity.- Bosons : Helium 4, Photons, Thermal Radiation.

From the reviews:"This is an interesting book, in part because it presents the subject from a French point of view. … It starts from an elementary discussion of statistical physics, thermodynamics, and quantum mechanics and ends with applications to advanced topics … . These subjects are treated in exercises and problems and the solutions to those problems. … The book is intended to be an introductory text for senior undergraduates and graduate students. … it does make interesting reading for practitioners of statistical physics." (Irwin Oppenheim, Journal of Statistical Physics, Vol. 30, 2006)"This is an extremely useful textbook for various undergraduate or graduate courses on statistical physics and its applications. One can find all the essential material, with a lot of examples from modern physics … . This is a … comprehensive textbook inspired by the idea of showing how one can deduce the macroscopic from the microscopic. It offers both basic laws and applications and … provides the student with sufficient knowledge to follow the more extensive textbooks on any of the particular subjects treated here." (Darko Kapor, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2006 c)