PHYS 603, Spring 2008
"Methods of Statistical Physics"
Prof. Victor M. Yakovenko

Textbook: Silvio Salinas "Introduction to Statistical Physics",
Springer 2001, ISBN 0-387-95119-9

Timeline of the course

Week 1
Tuesday, January 29, 9:30-10:45 Introductory lecture.  Ch. 1 "Introduction to Statistical Methods"
Thursday, January 31, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 1 "Introduction to Statistical Methods"
Week 2
Tuesday, February 5, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 1 "Introduction to Statistical Methods",  HW 1 issued
Thursday, February 7, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 2 "Statistical Description of a Physical System"
Week 3
Tuesday, February 12, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 2 "Statistical Description of a Physical System", HW 2 issued
Thursday, February 14, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 3 "Overview of Classical Thermodynamics"
Week 4
Tuesday, February 19, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 3 "Overview of Classical Thermodynamics", HW 3 issued
Thursday, February 21, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 3 "Overview of Classical Thermodynamics"
Week 5
Tuesday, February 26, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 3 "Overview of Classical Thermodynamics"
Thursday, February 28, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 4 "Microcanonical Ensemble", HW 4 issued
Week 6
Tuesday, March 4, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 4 "Microcanonical Ensemble"
Thursday, March 6, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 5 "Canonical Ensemble", HW 5 issued
Week 7
Tuesday, March 11, 9:30-10:45 Midterm Exam in class.  Prof. Yakovenko is substituted by Prof. Ted Jacobson.
Thursday, March 13, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 5 "Canonical Ensemble", Prof. Yakovenko is substituted by Prof. Ted Jacobson.
Week 8
Tuesday, March 25, 9:30-10:45 Entropic elasticity, statistical mechanics of money
Thursday, March 27, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 6 "The Classical Gas in the Canonical Formalism", refrigiration, HW 6 issued
Week 9
Tuesday, April 1, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 6 "The Classical Gas in the Canonical Formalism"
Thursday, April 3, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 7 "The Grand Canonical and Pressure Ensembles", HW 7 issued
Week 10
Tuesday, April 8, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 8 "The Ideal Quantum Gas".
Prof. Yakovenko will be substituted by Prof. Victor Galitski.
Thursday, April 10, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 9 "The Ideal Fermi Gas", HW 8 issued
Week 11
Tuesday, April 15, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 9 "The Ideal Fermi Gas"
Thursday, April 17, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 10 "Free Bosons: Bose-Einstein Condensation; Photon Gas", HW 9 issued
Week 12
Tuesday, April 22, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 10 "Free Bosons: Bose-Einstein Condensation; Photon Gas",
Thursday, April 24, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 11 "Phonons and Magnons", HW 10 issued
Week 13
Tuesday, April 29, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 11 "Phonons and Magnons"
Thursday, May 1, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 12 "Phase Transitions", HW 11 issued
Week 14
Tuesday, May 6, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 12 "Phase Transitions" and Ch. 13 "The Ising Model"
Thursday, May 8, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 12 "Phase Transitions"
Week 15
Tuesday, May 13, 9:30-10:45 Ch. 12 "Phase Transitions"
Final Exam
Friday, May 16, 8-10 am 3 problems from the past qualifier exams.  Open book exam - you can use textbook and any other materials.

Last updated May 11, 2008