Statistical Mechanics (entropy, Order Parameters And Complexity)

By (author) Sethna James
Short description/annotation
Sethna''s book distills the core ideas of statistical mechanics to make room for new advances important to information theory, complexity, and modern biology. Aimed at advanced undergraduates and early graduate students, Sethna''s text explores everything from chaos through information theory to life at the end of the universe.
Description
In each generation, scientists must redefine their fields: abstracting, simplifying and distilling the previous standard topics to make room for new advances and methods. Sethna''s book takes this step for statistical mechanics - a field rooted in physics and chemistry whose ideas and methods are now central to information theory, complexity, and modern biology. Aimed at advanced undergraduates and early graduate students in all of these fields, Sethna limits his main presentation to the topics that future mathematicians and biologists, as well as physicists and chemists, will find fascinating and central to their work. The amazing breadth of the field is reflected in the author''s large supply of carefully crafted exercises, each an introduction to a whole field of study: everything from chaos through information theory to life at the end of the universe.
Table of contents
APPENDIX: FOURIER METHODS
Review quote
The author''s style, although quite concentrated, is simple to understand, and has many lovely visual examples to accompany formal ideas and concepts, which makes the exposition live and intuitvely appealing.
Review quote
Since the book treats intersections of mathematics, biology, engineering, computer science and social sciences, it will be of a great help to researchers in these fields in making statistical mechanics useful and comprehensible. At the same time, the book will enrich the subject for researchers-physicists who''d like to apply their skills in other disciplines.
Biographical note
Prof. James P. Sethna is Professor of Physics, Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Publisher''s notice
Prof. James P. Sethna is Professor of Physics, Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Feature
Broad principles widely applicable in modern physics, computer science, mathematics, complexity theory, and biology. Exciting exercises, introducing new fields and illustrating broad principles. Powerful, advanced methods presented simply - new, modern concepts distilled and incorporated into undergraduate-level presentation. Hundreds of illustrations and figures illustrating theory, experiment, and applications. Hundreds of marginal notes providing background, illustration, vocabulary, and advanced concepts.
Review quote: previous edition
`An extremely intelligent and elegant introduction to fundamental concepts, well suited for the beginning graduate level.'' William Gelbart, University of California at Los Angeles
Version history
Broad principles widely applicable in modern physics, computer science, mathematics, complexity theory, and biology. Exciting exercises, introducing new fields and illustrating broad principles. Powerful, advanced methods presented simply - new, modern concepts distilled and incorporated into undergraduate-level presentation. Hundreds of illustrations and figures illustrating theory, experiment, and applications. Hundreds of marginal notes providing background, illustration, vocabulary, and advanced concepts.