Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.63 (584 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0691145296 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 416 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-09-03 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Luca Peliti is professor of statistical mechanics at the University of Naples Federico II in Italy. . His books include "Biologically Inspired Physics"
Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell provides the more general overview, with topics such as the renormalization group method. A graduate student or researcher who wants to explore the applications of statistical mechanics would be very well served by this book."--Choice"Peliti's Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell is a fantastic reference for those who know the subject, teach it, or need a quick technical reminder, especially on the topic of phase transitions, which are consistently featured in modern-day discussions. "Unlike typical textbo
G. A. Schoenagel said Excellent Textbook. Another fine text from the Princeton Series.First, from a review in Journal of Statistical Physics (Ben-Avraham, "Excellent Textbook" according to G. A. Schoenagel. Another fine text from the Princeton Series.First, from a review in Journal of Statistical Physics (Ben-Avraham, 2012) : "remarkably self-contained and comprehensive introductory textbook"Next, my impressions:The Thermodynamics is presented via a postulational (deductive)approach and this clearly enunciated.Statistical Mechanical fundamentals are presented in the third chapter,lucidly expounding upon such standardsas phase space, observables, quantum states and the variational principle.The later chapters (6-10),are beautiful expositions of more advanced material.In particular,Chapter 9 (Dynam. 01"Excellent Textbook" according to G. A. Schoenagel. Another fine text from the Princeton Series.First, from a review in Journal of Statistical Physics (Ben-Avraham, 2012) : "remarkably self-contained and comprehensive introductory textbook"Next, my impressions:The Thermodynamics is presented via a postulational (deductive)approach and this clearly enunciated.Statistical Mechanical fundamentals are presented in the third chapter,lucidly expounding upon such standardsas phase space, observables, quantum states and the variational principle.The later chapters (6-10),are beautiful expositions of more advanced material.In particular,Chapter 9 (Dynam. ) : "remarkably self-contained and comprehensive introductory textbook"Next, my impressions:The Thermodynamics is presented via a postulational (deductive)approach and this clearly enunciated.Statistical Mechanical fundamentals are presented in the third chapter,lucidly expounding upon such standardsas phase space, observables, quantum states and the variational principle.The later chapters (6-10),are beautiful expositions of more advanced material.In particular,Chapter 9 (Dynam. For math majors only The text is good, until the author gets to the equations, at which point he totally loses the reader (me, at least). The author frequently skips steps in the equation derivations and expects the reader to follow while performing multi variate chain rule differentiation in his head. I have read many textbooks in mechanics and research in comp. chem and bio and the author still manages to lose me every two pages or so. Maybe this is good for geniuses, but for regulars maybe a more standard textbook like Atkins or Dill is better. Critic at large said It truly is a nutshell approach. An up to date and well written modern introduction to statistical mechanics. Suitable for advanced undergraduates or graduate students in the physical sciences or engineering. Easy to use for self-study or review.
Statistical mechanics is one of the most exciting areas of physics today, and it also has applications to subjects as diverse as economics, social behavior, algorithmic theory, and evolutionary biology. Requiring only a background in elementary calculus and elementary mechanics, this book starts with the basics, introduces the most important developments in classical statistical mechanics over the last thirty years, and guides readers to the very threshold of today's cutting-edge research.Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell zeroes in on the most relevant and promising advances in the field, including the theory of phase transitions, generalized Brownian motion and stochastic dynamics, the methods underlying Monte Carlo simulations, complex systems--and much, much more. The essential resource on the subject, this book is the most up-to-date and accessible introduction available for graduate students and advanced undergraduates seeking a succinct primer on the core ideas of statistical mechanics.Provides the most concise, self-contained introduction to statistical mechanics Focuses on the most promising advances, not co