Solution Sheet 7 Posted

I have posted the solution sheet to homework 7.

Update (12/02/12): I have posted a revised version of the solution sheet, in which I added a few sentences from the discussions in class. I also corrected the equation citations on the central-limit-theorem problem.

Solution Set 6 Posted

Read the title.

Update (11/24/12): I have posted a revised version of this sheet in which I have corrected a couple of typos and added several additional points. (I added a good deal more in revising this sheet than was the case for prior sheets.)

Solution Set 5 Posted

See the title.

Update (11/16/12): I have posted a revised version. I corrected a typo (discussed in class at 2pm) and added a couple of additional sentences with relevant comments.

Solution Set 4 Posted

Yes, yes it is.

Update (11/10/12): I have posted a revised version in which I corrected a trivial typo and added a few sentences of clarification and description that arose in classes.

Solution Set 3 Posted

Read the title.

Update (11/02/12): I have posted a slightly revised version of the solutions. I fixed a couple of minor typos and added a note at top of problem 6 emphasizing that this is an important problem to revise (and reminding you to compare it to messing around with the volume of a container with an ideal gas).

Solution Sheet 2 Posted

Yes, yes it is.

Update (10/26/12): I have posted a slightly revised version of the second solution sheet.

Solution Sheet 1 Posted

See the title.

Update (10/20/12): I have posted a slightly revised version of these solutions.

MT 2012 Edition

Lectures are held Th, F: 11:00 am - noon, L2, MI.

There are two classes. I will be the tutor for both of them, and Mark Wilkinson will be the TA.

The classes will be held at the following times: Fridays at 2 - 3 pm and 3 - 4pm starting in week 2. They will occur in SG SR1.

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.

Note: I am using the same scribbled lecture notes (see scanned versions on the Course Materials website) as last year, except possibly for the "special topic" to be covered in the last lecture or two (which isn't in the scanned notes anyway). I like to have student input in determining such special topics, so I'll figure that out later.

I have now posted all 7 problem sheets.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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)