Physics 5163:

Graduate Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics

This web page will deal with course material for the graduate class on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics. At the moment, it only involves some Mathematica notebooks. I'll add some references to preprints and the like soon. If there is interest, I can put the homework sets on the web. I'm inclined not to post the solutions: first, they are available in the library and the solutions might be used by students at other universities on assigned homework. If there is a lot of interest in my posting the solutions, I'll think about it.

"But you wanted this. You wanted to see. You wanted to know. And here it is.."

References:

Below are some references for various topics covered in the course:

Thermodynamics:

Thermodynamics, by Callen. Strongly recommended.
Thermodynamics, by Weinreich. Out of print, but on reserve.

Kinetic Theory:

Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics, by Wannier: a good classical treatment.
"Kinetic Theory: Understanding nature through collisions", by E. G. Cohen. Am. J. Phys. 61, 524 (1993).
"Bogoliubov-Cho-Uhlenbeck Theory: Cradle of Modern Kinetic Theory", Matthieu Ernst, cond-mat/9707146.
"Microscopic Reversibility and Macroscopic Behavior", Joel Lebowitz, cond-mat/9605138.
"Boltzmann and Statistical Mechanics", E. G. Cohen, cond-mat/9608054
I started a discussion in sci.physics.research on Boltzmann's H-Theorem.

Puzzles and Problems:

"It wants to open, that's the thing."

Mathematica Notebooks:

Introduction: Simple examples of Mathematica abilities.
Mathematica Homework #1: Simple problems for you to do in Mathematica.
Van der Waals gas: a sample of how to look at a system in Mathematica.

Homework Assignments and Handouts:

Spring 2000 Syllabus
HW #1: Simple Thermodynamics
HW#2: Legendre Transforms
HW#3: Phase Transitions
HW#4: Kinetic Theory
HW#5: Ergodic Theorem

"But, please; feel free. Explore. We'll always be here . . ."

Click here for the description of my research in our graduate brochure.

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