Sinposis

THIS TEXTBOOK PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE, YET ACCESSIBLE, INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL MECHANICS. CRAFTED AND CLASS-TESTED OVER MANY YEARS OF TEACHING, IT CAREFULLY GUIDES ADVANCED UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE ENCOUNTERING STATISTICAL MECHANICS FOR THE FIRST TIME THROUGH THIS - SOMETIMES - INTIMIDATING SUBJECT. THE BOOK PROVIDES A STRONG FOUNDATION IN THERMODYNAMICS AND THE ENSEMBLE FORMALISM OF STATISTICAL MECHANICS. AN INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER ON PROBABILITY THEORY IS INCLUDED. APPLICATIONS INCLUDE DEGENERATE FERMI SYSTEMS, BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATION, CAVITY RADIATION, PHASE TRANSITIONS, AND CRITICAL PHENOMENA. THE BOOK CONCLUDES WITH A TREATMENT OF SCALING THEORIES AND THE RENORMALIZATION GROUP.