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 page 7 of LN 7 by heart and then apply them to various problems like those 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 all properties. It is also strongly advised that you go over past qualifier problems (see below).
Past qualifier exams: 2010-2012, 2005-2009, 2000-2004, 1995-1999.
Homework
Homework 5, due June 6: Phase transition (with solutions (for analytical questions))
Codes: Python program for calculating the fugacity of a BEC gas (first problem), Python program for Monte Carlo (last problem). – 9:55PM, May 27, 2013
Plotting: In case you like to plot things up in Python, here is some information that might be helpful: Plotting examples, Python, scipy, matplotlib. – 9:55PM, May 27, 2013
Homework 4, due May 21: Quantum statistical mechanics (with solutions)
Correction: Problem 6 (a): the factor $\frac{1}{2}$ multiplies $\vec a \cdot \vec \sigma$ also. Also, $\sigma \rightarrow \vec \sigma$, right after "where." – 8:28PM, May 19, 2013
Homework 3, due May 6: Ensembles, semi-classical (with solutions)
Addition: (Solutions) Pages 10,11: addendum (the van der Waals equation). – 10:36PM, Jun 06, 2013
Correction: (Solutions) $Z$ in page 9 (the power of $\bar V$, corrected). – 10:36PM, Jun 06, 2013
Homework 2, due Apr 23: Probability (with solutions)
Correction: Problem 7(a): Eq. 5.22 (red). – 9:05AM, Apr 18, 2013
Correction: Problem 6(c): Phys. Rev. B → Phys. Rev. E. – 12:18PM, Apr 15, 2013
Homework 1, due Apr 12: Thermodynamics – review (with solutions)
Correction, Addition: Problem 4 (red). Also, a sentence added at top (maximum entropy). – 8:42AM, Apr 06, 2013
Correction: One correction for prob 2, one clarification for prob 3. Both marked red. – 11:49AM, Jun 14, 2013