Welcome to Phys 219, 2012!

I have gotten some inquiries about the textbook (or what to read). Very nice! The textbook is Statistical Physics of Particles by Mehran Kardar. I will also use some of Equilibrium Statistical Physics by Plischke and Bergersen. You can also read your favorite statistical/thermal physics book (your undergrad text or the one by, e.g., Landau, Feynman, or Fermi), if you have time and energy. However, following lectures well and reading one or two sources thoroughly is often a much better strategy than reading too many books, as far as following a course is concerned.

Welcome to the Graduate Course in Statistical Physics!

In this course, you will learn statistical and thermal physics in-depth. The topics to be covered include fundamental topics of the classical and the quantum equilibrium statistical mechanics, the linear response theory and the renormalization group. You will also practice numerical methods. When properly followed, this course should enable you to gain solid understanding on how the random microscopic motions lead to sure macroscopic phenomena. You should also gain ability to perform basic and advanced statistical physics calculations.