Principles of Equilibrium Statistical Mechanics

Book excerpt: This modern textbook provides a complete survey of the broad field of statistical mechanics. Based on a series of lectures, it adopts a special pedagogical approach. The authors, both excellent lecturers, clearly distinguish between general principles and their applications in solving problems. Analogies between phase transitions in fluids and magnets using continuum and spin models are emphasized, leading to a better understanding. Such special features as historical notes, summaries, problems, mathematical appendix, computer programs and order of magnitude estimations distinguish this volume from competing works. Due to its ambitious level and an extensive list of references for technical details on advanced topics, this is equally a must for researchers in condensed matter physics, materials science, polymer science, solid state physics, and astrophysics. From the contents Thermostatics: phase stability, phase equilibria, phase transitions; Statistical Mechanics: calculation, correlation functions, ideal classical gases, ideal quantum gases; Interacting Systems: models, computer simulation, mean-field approximation; Interacting Systems beyond Mean-field Theory: scaling and renormalization group, foundations of statistical mechanics "The present book, however, is unique that it both is written in a very pedagogic, easily comprehensible style, and, nevertheless, goes from the basic principles all the way to these modern topics, containing several chapters on the various approaches of mean field theory, and a chapter on computer simulation. A characteristic feature of this book is that often first some qualitative arguments are given, or a "pedestrians's approach", and then a more general and/or more rigorous derivation is presented as well. Particularly useful are also "supplementary notes", pointing out interesting applications and further developments of the subject, a detailed bibliography, problems and historical notes, and many pedagogic figures."