1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910454050303321

Autore

Sethna James P

Titolo

Statistical mechanics [[electronic resource] ] : entropy, order parameters, and complexity / / James P. Sethna

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Oxford ; ; New York, : Oxford University Press, 2006

ISBN

1-281-34137-1

0-19-156621-7

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (372 p.)

Collana

Oxford master series in statistical, computational, and theoretical physics

Oxford master series in physics ; ; 14

Disciplina

530.13

Soggetti

Statistical mechanics

Electronic books.

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references (p. [313]-321) and index.

Nota di contenuto

What is statistical mechanics? -- Random walks with emergent properties. -- Temperature and equilibrium. -- Phase-space dynamics and ergodicity. -- Entropy. -- Free energies. -- Quantum statistical mechanics. -- Calculation and computation. -- Order parameters, broken symmetry, and topology. -- Correlations, response, and dissipation. -- Abrupt phase transitions. -- Continuous phase transitions. -- Appendix: Fourier methods.

Sommario/riassunto

Sethna's book distills the core ideas of statistical mechanics to make room for new advances important to information theory, complexity, and modern biology. Aimed at advanced undergraduates and early graduate students, Sethna's text explores everything from chaos through information theory to life at the end of the universe. - ;In each generation, scientists must redefine their fields: abstracting, simplifying and distilling the previous standard topics to make room for new advances and methods. Sethna's book takes this step for statistical mechanics - a field rooted in physics and chemistry