Stochastic Thermodynamics

Udo Seifert is Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Stuttgart and one of the pioneers of stochastic thermodynamics. He has published extensively in the areas of statistical physics, biological physics and complex systems, and has taught a graduate level course on stochastic thermodynamics at Stuttgart for several years.

• 1. From classical mechanics to statistical mechanics; 2. Canonical distribution; 3. Processes, first and second laws; 4. Work distributions from Hamiltonian trajectories; 5. Discrete states: Equilibrium, relaxation and time-dependent driving; 6. Enzymes and enzymatic reactions; 7. Thermodynamically consistent asymmetric random walk; 8. Non-equilibrium steady states; 9. Brownian motion; 10. Driven colloidal particle; 11. Correlation and linear response; 12. Molecular motors; 13. Chemical reaction networks; 14. Active particles; 15. Stochastic heat engines; 16. Information processing; 17. Coarse-graining; 18. Langevin dynamics: Advanced topics; 19. Large deviations; 20. Optimization; Appendix A. Some technical tools for Chapter 1; Appendix B. Hamiltonian dynamics and Liouville's theorem; Appendix C. Isobaric description or 'pressure ensemble'; Appendix D. Legendre transformations; Appendix E. Gaussian random variables and random functions; Appendix F. Supplement on the dynamics for systems with discrete states; Appendix G. Supplement on interacting particles; Appendix H. Local equilibrium and the identification of heat current; Bibliography; Index.

'This impressively systematic yet accessible presentation of stochastic thermodynamics, from one of its leading theorists, will immediately become the reference text in the field. Aimed at both graduate students and researchers, and polished over twenty years of teaching, the author's mastery of the topics - many of which he and his group played a key role in developing - is apparent at each step.' John Bechhoefer, Simon Fraser University, Canada