Problems on Statistical Mechanics

A thorough understanding of statistical mechanics depends strongly on the insights and manipulative skills that are acquired through the solving of problems.

This book provides over 120 problems with model solutions, illustrating both basic principles and applications ranging from solid state physics to cosmology.

An introductory chapter provides a summary of the basic concepts and results that are needed to tackle the problems, and also serves to establish the notation that is used throughout the book.

The problems themselves occupy five further chapters, in which readers are invited to develop their understanding progressively from the simpler aspects of thermodynamics and equilibrium statistical ensembles to the more challenging ideas associated with strongly interacting systems and non-equilibrium processes.

Comprehensive solutions to all the problems are designed to illustrate efficient and elegant problem-solving techniques.

Where appropriate, they incorporate extended discussions of the points of principle that arise in the course of the solutions.

Finally, an appendix provides a miscellany of mathematical formulae.