Differences between revisions 5 and 55 (spanning 50 versions) Back to page
Revision 5 as of 10:26AM, Apr 06, 2013
Size: 296
Editor: Sam
Comment:
Revision 55 as of 10:19AM, Jun 08, 2013
Size: 3444
Editor: Sam
Comment:
Deletions are marked like this. Additions are marked like this.
Line 1: Line 1:
= Exam =

 * Questions in the exam will be like those of the qualifier exams. The contents of lecture note 7 are extremely important, since they are the basic principles without which you will have a hard time doing any problem. They are to statistical mechanics as Newton's laws are to classical mechanics. At the minimum, '''one must know the basic laws that are summarized in the table of LN 7 by heart''' and then apply them to various problems that we did in homework and examples in lecture notes. That is, you must know when and how to ''start from the partition function, the Gibbs partition function, or the grand partition function, and derive every properties that you need from it''. It is advised that you go over past qualifier problems (see below).

 * Past qualifier exams: <<la("2010-2012.SM.pdf", "2010-2012")>>, <<la("2005-2009.SM.pdf", "2005-2009")>>, <<la("2000-2004.SM.pdf", "2000-2004")>>, <<la("1995-1999.SM.pdf", "1995-1999")>>
Line 3: Line 9:
  * '''Homework 1''', ~-due Apr 12-~: <<la("H01-Thermo.pdf", "Thermodyanmics -- review")>>  * '''Homework 5''', ~-due June 6-~: <<la("H05-Phase-Transition.pdf", "Phase transition")>> ~-(<<la("H05-Phase-Transition-w-Sols.pdf", "with solutions (for analytical questions)")>>)-~

 {{{#!wiki comment
 * <<color(Codes:)>> <<la("g-hint.py", "Python program for calculating the fugacity of a BEC gas (first problem)")>>, <<la("MC.py", "Python program for Monte Carlo (last problem).")>> &ndash; ~-''<<DateTime(2013-05-27T21:55:30-0700)>>''-~
 * <<color(Plotting:)>> In case you like to plot things up in Python, here is some information that might be helpful: <<ln("/ph156-11/Homework%204%20Solutions", "Plotting examples")>>, <<ln("/ph156-11/Matlab%20and%20Python#Python", "Python, scipy, matplotlib")>>. &ndash; ~-''<<DateTime(2013-05-27T21:55:30-0700)>>''-~
 }}}

 * '''Homework 4''', ~-due May 21-~: <<la("H04-Quantum-SM.pdf", "Quantum statistical mechanics")>> ~-(<<la("H04-Quantum-SM-w-Sols.pdf", "with solutions")>>)-~

 {{{#!wiki comment
 * <<color("Correction:")>> Problem 6 (a): the factor $\frac{1}{2}$ multiplies $\vec a \cdot \vec \sigma$ also. Also, $\sigma \rightarrow \vec \sigma$, right after "where." &ndash; ~-''<<DateTime(2013-05-19T20:28:58-0700)>>''-~
 }}}

 * '''Homework 3''', ~-due May 6-~: <<la("H03-Ensembles-Semi-Classical.pdf", "Ensembles, semi-classical")>> ~-(<<la("H03-Ensembles-Semi-Classical-w-Sols.pdf", "with solutions")>>)-~

 {{{#!wiki comment
 * <<color("Addition:")>> (Solutions) Pages 10,11: addendum (the van der Waals equation). &ndash; ~-''<<DateTime(2013-06-06T22:36:06-0700)>>''-~
 * <<color("Correction:")>> (Solutions) $Z$ in page 9 (the power of $\bar V$, corrected). &ndash; ~-''<<DateTime(2013-06-06T22:36:06-0700)>>''-~
 }}}

 * '''Homework 2''', ~-due Apr 23-~: <<la("H02-Probability.pdf", "Probability")>> ~-(<<la("H02-Probability-w-Sols.pdf", "with solutions")>>)-~

 {{{#!wiki comment
 * <<color("Correction:")>> Problem 7(a): Eq. 5.22 (red). &ndash; ~-''<<DateTime(2013-04-18T09:05:55-0700)>>''-~
 * <<color("Correction:")>> Problem 6(c): Phys. Rev. B &rarr; Phys. Rev. E. &ndash; ~-''<<DateTime(2013-04-15T12:18:20-0700)>>''-~
 }}}

 * '''Homework 1''', ~-due Apr 12-~: <<la("H01-Thermo.pdf", "Thermodynamics -- review")>> ~-(<<la("H01-Thermo-w-Sols.pdf", "with solutions")>>)-~

Exam

  • Questions in the exam will be like those of the qualifier exams. The contents of lecture note 7 are extremely important, since they are the basic principles without which you will have a hard time doing any problem. They are to statistical mechanics as Newton's laws are to classical mechanics. At the minimum, one must know the basic laws that are summarized in the table of LN 7 by heart and then apply them to various problems that we did in homework and examples in lecture notes. That is, you must know when and how to start from the partition function, the Gibbs partition function, or the grand partition function, and derive every properties that you need from it. It is advised that you go over past qualifier problems (see below).

  • Past qualifier exams: 2010-2012, 2005-2009, 2000-2004, 1995-1999

Homework