Statistical Mechanics
Statistical Mechanics (Spring 2009, Stanford Univ.). Instructor: Professor Leonard Susskind. Statistical mechanics is a branch of physics that applies probability theory to the study of the thermodynamic behavior of systems composed of a large number of particles. Statistical mechanics provides a framework for relating the microscopic properties of individual atoms and molecules to the macroscopic bulk properties of materials that can be observed in everyday life. Thus it explains thermodynamics as a result of the classical and quantum-mechanical descriptions of statistics and mechanics at the microscopic level. (from theoreticalminimum.com)
| Lecture 01 - Conservation of information, energy, entropy, and temperature This lecture introduces energy, entropy, temperature, and phase states as they relate directly to statistical mechanics. |
| Lecture 02 - The mathematics of statistical mechanics Leonard Susskind overviews elementary mathematics to define a method for understanding statistical mechanics. |
| Lecture 03 - The Boltzmann distribution and fluctuations Leonard Susskind reviews the Lagrange multiplier, explains Boltzmann distribution and Helmholtz free energy before outlining into the theory of fluctuations. |
| Lecture 04 - Helmholtz free energy and the partition function This lecture explains how to calculate and define pressure, explores the formulas some of applications of Helmholtz free energy, and discusses the importance of the partition function. |
| Lecture 05 - Diatomic molecules and black hole thermodynamics Leonard Susskind discusses the basic physics of the diatomic molecule and why you don't have to worry about its structure at low temperature. Susskind later explores a black hole thermodynamics. |
| Lecture 06 - Second law of thermodynamics Leonard Susskind explains the second law of thermodynamics, illustrates chaos, and discusses how the volume of phase space grows. |
| Lecture 07 - Harmonic oscillators and quantum states This lecture discusses harmonic oscillators, quantum states, boxes of radiation and all associated computations such as wavelengths, volume, energy and temperature. |
| Lecture 08 - Magnets Leonard Susskind lectures on a new class of systems, magnetic systems. He goes on to talk about mean field approximations of molecules in multidimensional lattice systems. |
| Lecture 09 - Phase transitions and chemical potential Leonard Susskind picks up on magnets, phase transitions, and mean field transitions. He goes on to explain chemical potential. |
| Lecture 10 - Thermal radiation and inflation Leonard Susskind covers such topics as inflation, adiabatic transformation and thermal radiation. |
| References |
| Statistical Mechanics (Spring, 2009) | The Theoretical Minimum Statistical mechanics is a branch of physics that applies probability theory to the study of the thermodynamic behavior of systems composed of a large number of particles. |