Catalog

Statistical Mechanics II: Statistical Physics of Fields

Physics MIT CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 26 lectures

This is the second term in a two-semester course on statistical mechanics. Basic principles are examined in this class, such as the laws of thermodynamics and the concepts of temperature, work, heat, and entropy. Topics from modern statistical mechanics are also explored, including the hydrodynamic limit and classical field theories.

Syllabus

  1. 1 Lecture 1: Collective Behavior, from Particles to Fields Part 1
  2. 2 Lecture 2: Lec 1 (continued); The Landau-Ginzburg Approach Part 1
  3. 3 Lecture 3: The Landau-Ginzburg Approach Part 2
  4. 4 Lecture 4: The Landau-Ginzburg Approach Part 3
  5. 5 Lecture 5: The Landau-Ginzburg Approach Part 4
  6. 6 Lecture 6: The Scaling Hypothesis Part 1
  7. 7 Lecture 7: The Scaling Hypothesis Part 2
  8. 8 Lecture 8: The Scaling Hypothesis Part 3
  9. 9 Lecture 9: Perturbative Renormalization Group Part 1
  10. 10 Lecture 10: Perturbative Renormalization Group Part 2
  11. 11 Lecture 11: Perturbative Renormalization Group Part 3
  12. 12 Lecture 12: Perturbative Renormalization Group Part 4
  13. 13 Lecture 13: Position Space Renormalization Group, Part 1
  14. 14 Lecture 14: Position Space Renormalization Group, Part 2
  15. 15 Lecture 15: Series Expansions Part 1
  16. 16 Lecture 16: Series Expansions Part 2
  17. 17 Lecture 17: Series Expansions Part 3
  18. 18 Lecture 18: Series Expansions Part 4
  19. 19 Lecture 19: Series Expansions Part 5
  20. 20 Lecture 20: Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures Part 1
  21. 21 Lecture 21: Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures Part 2
  22. 22 Lecture 22: Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures Part 3
  23. 23 Lecture 23: Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures Part 4
  24. 24 Lecture 24: Dissipative Dynamics
  25. 25 Lecture 25: Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures Part 5
  26. 26 Lecture 26: Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures Part 6

Course materials