Statistical Mechanics: A Short Treatise

Description

This book presents a critical and modern analysis of the conceptual foundations of statistical mechanics as laid down in Boltzmann's works. The author emphasizes the relation between microscopic reversibility and macroscopic irreversibility. Students will find a clear and detailed explanation of fundamental concepts such as equipartition, entropy, and ergodicity. They will learn about Brownian motion, the modern treatment of the thermodynamic limit phase transitions, the microscopic and macroscopic theory of the coexistence of phases, statistical mechanics of stationary states, and fluctuations and dissipation in chaotic motions. Front Matter....Pages I-XIV Classical Statistical Mechanics....Pages 1-55 Statistical Ensembles....Pages 57-87 Equipartition and Critique....Pages 89-110 Thermodynamic Limit and Stability....Pages 111-127 Phase Transitions....Pages 129-173 Coexistence of Phases....Pages 175-207 Exactly Soluble Models....Pages 209-231 Brownian Motion....Pages 233-251 Coarse Graining and Nonequilibrium....Pages 253-312 Back Matter....Pages 313-339