Required text:
- James P. Sethna, Statistical Mechanics: Entropy, Order Parameters, and Complexity, Oxford University Press
Available from online retailers (~$50). A pdf version of the first printing is available from
Book webpage http://pages.physics.cornell.edu/sethna/StatMech/
Authors webpage http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/sethna/
Additional resources:
Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics notes by Prof. Jansen:
While I will not follow these notes, they are immensely useful and provide an interesting alternative view to the in class presentations.
You need a basic reference for thermodynamics. Usually the textbook of your undergraduate Thermodynamics course will do the job. A few recommendations are
- Daniel V. Schroeder, Thermal Physics, good, affordable
- Charles Kittel and Herbert Kroemer, Thermal Physics, very good, expensive
- H. B. Callen, Thermodynamics, more advanced thermodynamics
- F. Reif, Fundamentals of statistical and thermal physics
Note that my recommendations reflect my personal preference. Kittel/Kroemer is good, but their presentation might not appeal to everyone.
There is a very large number of textbooks out there and I am only familiar with a few. The book listed here are quite exhaustive in their coverage and go far beyond what can be covered in a two term course. They also serve as reference books.
- R. K. Patria and Paul D. Beale, Statistical Mechanics
- Michael Plischke and Birger Bergersen, Equilibrium Statistical Physics
- Mehran Kardar, Statistical Physics of Particles
- L. E. Reichl, A modern Course in Statistical Physics
- K. Huang, Statistical Physics
- Landau and Lifshitz, Statistical Physics, Part 1, Course of Theoretical Physics, Volume 5