Statistical mechanics i: statistical mechanics of particles

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Recitations: 1 session / week, 1.5 hours / session

This is a two-semester course on statistical mechanics. Basic principles examined in this course are: The laws of thermodynamics and the concepts of temperature, work, heat, and entropy, postulates of classical statistical mechanics, microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical distributions; applications to lattice vibrations, ideal gas, photon gas, quantum statistical mechanics; Fermi and Bose systems, interacting systems: Cluster expansions, van der Waal's gas, and mean-field theory.

Topics from modern statistical mechanics are explored in the next course in this sequence, 8.334 Statistical Mechanics II. These include: The hydrodynamic limit and classical field theories; phase transitions and broken symmetries: Universality, correlation functions, and scaling theory; the renormalization approach to collective phenomena; dynamic critical behavior; random systems.

8.044 Elementary Statistical Mechanics and 8.05 Quantum Physics II.

This course does not follow a particular text. The following are useful reference books:

Huang, Kerson. Statistical Mechanics. 2nd ed. Wiley, 1987. ISBN: 9780471815181.

Pathria, R. K. Statistical Mechanics. Pergamon Press, 1972. ISBN: 9780080189949. [Preview with Google Books]

Pippard, A. B. The Elements of Classical Thermodynamics for Advanced Students of Physics. University Press, 1966. [Preview with Google Books]

Ma, Shang-keng. Statistical Mechanics. Translated by M. K. Fung. World Scientific Publishing Company, 1985. ISBN: 9789971966065.

Landau, L. D., and E. M. Lifshitz. Statistical Physics, Part 1. 3rd ed. Pergamon Press, 1980. ISBN: 9780080230382.

Reif, Frederick, ed. Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics. McGraw-Hill, 1965. [Preview with Google Books]

Feynman, Richard Phillips. Statistical Mechanics: A Set of Lectures. Westview Press, 1998. ISBN: 9780201360769. [Preview with Google Books]

Kardar, Mehran. Statistical Physics of Particles. Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN 9780521873420. [Preview with Google Books]

The homework assignments are an important part of this course, and the final average homework score will count for 30% of the final grade. You may consult with classmates in "study groups," as long as you write out your own answers, and do not use solution-sets from previous years.

There are 6 problem sets. Occasionally, there are problems marked as optional in the problem sets. If attempted, these problems will be graded as other problems, and their score added to the total. The overall grade for the course has a 30% contribution from the (required) problem sets. Thus, perfect scores on all the non-optional problems leads to the maximal grade of 30 from the problem sets. The optional problems provide a chance to reach the 30%-score for the problem sets, even when some of the required problems are not correct.

There are 3 in-class tests and a final exam. The in-class tests each count for 15% of the final grade. The Final Exam counts for 25% of the final grade.

A missed midterm will be averaged into the final grade as zero, unless an excuse is obtained in advance. Excuses are granted only for very serious circumstances attested to by the Dean or a medical doctor. A student who has been excused may be required to take a makeup exam.

Final grades will be determined from:

Don't show me this again

This is one of over 2,200 courses on OCW. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left.

MIT OpenCourseWare is a free & open publication of material from thousands of MIT courses, covering the entire MIT curriculum.

No enrollment or registration. Freely browse and use OCW materials at your own pace. There's no signup, and no start or end dates.

Knowledge is your reward. Use OCW to guide your own life-long learning, or to teach others. We don't offer credit or certification for using OCW.

Made for sharing. Download files for later. Send to friends and colleagues. Modify, remix, and reuse (just remember to cite OCW as the source.)

Learn more at Get Started with MIT OpenCourseWare