An Introduction to Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics

Robert H. Swendsen, Emeritus Professor, Physics Department, Carnegie Mellon University

Robert H. Swendsen is Professor of Physics at Carnegie Mellon University, where he works primarily in computational statistical mechanics. Professor Swendsen is a Fellow of both the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was given an IBM Outstanding Achievement Award in 1981 and shared a Forefronts of Large-Scale Computational Problems Award with S. Kumar, J.M. Rosenberg, and P.A. Kollman in 1991.

1. IntroductionIPart 1 Entropy2. Classical Ideal Gas3. Discrete probability theory4. Configurational entropy5. Continuous random numbers6. Classical ideal gas: Energy7. Ideal and "real" gases8. T, P, µ, and all thatIIPart 2 Thermodynamics9. Postulates and Laws of thermodynamics10. Thermodynamic perturbations11. Thermodynamic processes12. Thermodynamic potentials13. Extensivity14. Thermodynamic identities15. Extremum principles16. Stability conditions17. Phase transitions18. Nernst postulateIIIPart 3 Classical statistical mechanics19. Classical ensembles20. Classical ensembles: grand and otherwise21. IrreversibilityIVPart 4 Quantum statistical mechanics22. Quantum ensembles23. Quantum canoncial ensemble24. Black-body radiation25. The harmonic solid26. Ideal quantum gases27. Bose-Einstein statistics28. Fermi-Dirac statistics29. Insulators and semiconductors30. The Ising model