PHYS_8302_LeeMH_0111.txt

Statistical Mechanics II PCS 8302  (Spring 2011)

Instructor: M Howard Lee


I. General Information

A.  Text

Statistical Mechanics II.  M H Lee (2010, second edition)

B. Class Attendance--Full attendance expected as well as punctuality.

C.  Homework

A set of problems are found at the end of each chapter.  The solutions 
are to be turned in within a week after the completion of the chapter. 
The solutions will be graded A, B and C: A=good, B= acceptable, 
C=unacceptable. It is important to do all the homework and do so timely.  
Failure to submit the homework may result in a failing grade for the 
course.

D. Exams

Mid-term and Final

Exams will be based on the materials presented at the lectures and covered
in the homework. (To be further discussed in the first week.)

F. Grades

Provided that all the homework has been submitted, the final grades will
be made up by 1/3 from the midterm exam and 2/3 from the final exam. In
borderline cases, the instructor will exercise discretion. The grades from
the homework and classroom participation will be the main factors. (Also 
to be further discussed in the first week.)

G. Make-Up Classes

Occasionally the instructor must go out of town to attend conferences, 
to give seminars and colloquia at other universities.* The missed 
lectures will be made up on days and times to be agreed upon.


H. Office Hours

Any time preferably in the afternoon. No appointments needed.


II.  Topics ( from Table of Contents from Statistical Mechanics II)

Ch. 14.  Statistical mechanics of magnetism IV. Ising by RG method
Ch. 15. An Ising ferromagnet in mean field approximation
Ch. 16. Mean field theory of a ferromagnetic model
Ch. 17. Grand canonical ensemble theory
Ch. 18. Grand ensemble theory and classical ideal systems
Ch. 19. Grand ensemble theory of an ideal Fermi gas
Ch. 20. Applications of ideal Fermi gas theory
Ch. 21.  Grand ensemble theory of an ideal Bose gas
Ch. 22. Unifying the statistical thermodynamics of ideal Fermi and 
Bose gases I. Polylogarithms
Ch. 23. Unifying the statistical  thermodynamics of ideal Fermi and 
Bose gases II. Applications
Ch. 24. Grand ensemble theory of non-ideal classical gases: Virial 
expansion
Ch. 25.  Condensation and van der Waals theory
Ch. 26.  Off-diagonal long range order in Bose gas
Ch. 27.  Off-diagonal long range order in Fermi gas