Statistical mechanics ii: statistical physics of fields

Lectures: 2 sessions / week, 1.5 hours / session

Recitations: 1 session / week, 1.5 hours / session

This is the second term in a two-semester course on statistical mechanics. Basic principles are examined in this course, such as the laws of thermodynamics and the concepts of temperature, work, heat, and entropy. Topics from modern statistical mechanics are also explored, including the hydrodynamic limit and classical field theories.

8.333 Statistical Mechanics

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

Kardar, Mehran. Statistical Physics of Fields. Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780521873413. [Preview with Google Books]

Ma, Shang-keng. Modern Theory of Critical Phenomena. Addison-Wesley, 1976. ISBN: 9780805366709.

Stanley, H. Eugene. Introduction to Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena. Oxford University Press, 1993. ISBN: 9780195014587.

Amit, Daniel J. Field Theory, the Renormalization Group, and Critical Phenomena. Revised 2nd ed. World Scientific Publishing Company, 1984. ISBN: 9789971966102.

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

Negele, John W., and Henri Orland. Quantum Many-particle Systems.Perseus Books, 1988. ISBN: 9780201125931.

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

Parisi, Giorgio. Statistical Field Theory. Addison-Wesley, 1988. ISBN: 9780201059854.

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; in-class tests each count for 15% of the final grade.

Students choose one of the following two for a final project:

The final project counts for 25% of the course grade.

Final grades will be determined from:

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