Solution Sheet 7 Posted

I have posted solution sheet 7.

Update (12/09/11): I have posted a revised solution sheet in which some minor typos have been corrected and some clarifications have been added. (The clarifications on the origami problem should be particularly helpful. We discussed these in the class.)

Solution Sheet 6 Posted

Sorry I am a bit late with this (nobody reminded me last week while I was in Korea, and I was thinking about other things), but I have now posted solution sheet 6. I will try to remember to post solution sheet 7 tomorrow afternoon.

Solution Sheet 5 Posted

I've posted solution sheet 5.

Update (11/22/11): I have posted a version of the solutions in which I have corrected some typos.

Solution Sheet 4 Posted

I have posted solution sheet 4.

I have some notes to add and some minor typos to fix. I will take care of these this weekend. I am posting this now in case you want to have a copy in front of you for class tomorrow.

Update (11/12/11): I've just posted a version that has corrected some typos and added some comments and clarifications.

Part III of Lecture Notes Posted

I have now posted p. 40a-48a of the lecture notes. This takes us through the end of Chapter 12 of Sethna's book and should basically get us to the end of lecture 14.

The two lectures in week 8 will be on a 'special topic' to be determined. If there are any particular topics that interest you, please let me know. It is my intention for the last couple of lectures to vary from year to year depending on student interest.

Correction to Homework Sheet 5

I have corrected a typo on homework sheet 5. In problem 4, in the setup, one wants the limit as time goes to minus infinity (not positive infinity).

Solution Sheet 3 Posted

I just posted solution set 3. I meant to do this on Wednesday, but I forgot.

One Class to Rule Them All

We have 10 students left, so the 2 classes have been combined and will meet as one class from 3 - 4 pm starting in week 4. (The 2 - 3 pm class will still meet tomorrow.)

Solution Set 2 Posted

See the title.

Update (10/29/11): I have posted a version of the solution 2 in which some typos have been corrected and additional comments have been added.

Homework Sheets 5-7

I have now created and posted homework sheets 5-7.

Solution Sheet 1 Posted

I have posted the solutions for the homework sheet 1.

Update (10/22/11): I have posted a revised version of the solution sheet in which I have made a correction and in which I have added some additional comments on a couple of points.

Lectures Notes: Pages 1a--39b

I have posted pages 1a-20b and 21a-39b on the course website. I'll estimate that there will be somewhere between 54 and 60 pages in total (so twice that many sides), with around 54 being more likely than around 60.

It will be a while before I post the remaining lecture notes (which I need to finish preparing) and homework sheets.

As I mentioned in an earlier entry, I am following Jim Sethna's book (freely available online) closely. Thus far, I am following it---though with some small differences based on whether I agree with what is written or want to change or add perspective on certain details---except a small unit on "nonequilibrium statistical mechanics" in which I gave an introduction to kinetic theory (this topic isn't covered in Sethna). There are, of course, numerous other topics in nonequilibrium statistical mechanics---it is a huge subject---and some of them show up briefly in other parts of the lecture notes, though in those cases there are discussions (for the notes I have prepared thus far) in Sethna's book.

Homework Sheets 1-4

I have posted Homework Sheets 1-4 on the course website.

Homework sheet 1 is due Wednesday of Week 2, homework sheet 2 is due Wednesday of Week 3, and so on. There will be 7 homework sheets in total. Homework sheet 5 will cover kinetic theory, and homework sheets 6 and 7 will cover material about phase transitions and related things.

A Useful Online Resource

For the first part of this module, I will be drawing most of the material in the lecture notes from Jim Sethna's textbook, which is available for free online. (I will add some extra comments and on occasion disagree with a couple of the things in Sethna's book.) Sethna's book contains more details than I will give, and it should be very helpful.

Welcome to Statistical Mechanics (Maths c6.2a): MT 2011

Statistical Mechanics (Maths C6.2a) is a brand new Part C course in the Mathematical Institute.

Lectures are held Th, F: 11:00 am - noon, L1, MI.

There will be two classes. I will be the tutor for both of them, and Puck Rombach will be the TA.

Classes will be held on Fridays at 2 - 3 pm and 3 - 4pm starting in week 2. In weeks 2 and 4-8, they will be held in New Higman Room (SGSR). In week 3, they will be held in SGSR1.

[SGSR1 is in the basement of the MI. The New Higman Room is the meeting room that can be divided off at the end of the Common Room.]

Problem sheets will be due by 4pm on Wednesday in weeks 2-8. There will be seven sheets (one for each class). As usual, a box will magically appear in the basement of the MI.

I haven't yet made the problem sheets. Some of them should starting appearing among the course resources soon.

Note that I will be out of town on Nov. 24-25, so somebody else will cover my lecture that day.

One of my favorite quotes ever from the opening of a book: Ludwig Boltzman, who spent much of his life studying statistical mechanics, died in 1906, by his own hand. Paul Ehrenfest, carrying on the work, died similarly in 1933. Now it is our turn to study statistical mechanics. Perhaps it will be wise to approach the subject cautiously. (David Goodstein, in the opening lines of States of Matter)