Statistical Mechanics

In addition to a deductive approach to equilibrium statistics and thermodynamics based on a single hypothesis - the form of the microcanonical density matrix - this book treats the most important elements of non-equilibrium phenomena. Intermediate calculations are presented in complete detail. Problems at the end of each chapter help students to consolidate their understanding of the material. Beyond the fundamentals, this text demonstrates the breadth of the field and its great variety of applications. Modern areas such as renormalization group theory, percolation, stochastic equations of motion and their applications to critical dynamics, as well as fundamental considerations of irreversibility, are discussed. The text will be useful for advanced students of physics and other natural sciences; a basic knowledge of quantum mechanics is presumed. TOC: Fundamentals.- Equilibrium States.- Thermodynamics.- Ideal Quantum Gases.- Real Gases, Liquids and Solutions.- Magnetism.- Phase Transitions, Renormalization Group Theory, and Percolation.- Brownian Movement, Stochastic Equations of Motion and Fokker-Planck Equations.- Boltzmann Equation.- Irreversibility and Striving for Equilibrium.- Appendix.