"Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell offers a concise, self-contained advanced undergraduate to graduate level introduction to this rapidly developing field, requiring a background in elementary calculus and elementary mechanics. It starts with the basics, introduces the most important developments in classical statistical mechanics over the last thirty years, and guides readers to the very threshold of today's cutting-edge research. The author has revised the first 5 chapters (harmonizing the notation, improving the proofs, checking all exercises and adding a few additional interesting ones). He has also added a new chapter on stochastic thermodynamics, which finds its place after the 9th chapter. The appendices will also be completely rewritten, emphasizing the role of convexity and the Jensen inequality. Chapter 8 will be improved to include some important topics: namely, thermostats and fast algorithms. Chapter 9 will also be rewritten to modernize it and to transition to the new chapter on stochastic thermodynamics. Chapter 10 will be split in two, to focus on "disordered systems" and "complex systems," to emphasize applications (including neural networks and optimization algorithms), and to introduce some fundamental techniques (like the cavity method and message passing) at an elementary level. The goal of the new edition is to help the reader find her/his way into and through the vast, recent literature concerning statistical mechanics and to build a sense of the many fields in which the discipline has recently been applied"--

A concise introduction to statistical mechanics Statistical mechanics is one of the most exciting areas of physics today, and it also has applications to subjects as diverse as economics, social behavior, algorithmic theory, and evolutionary biology. Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell offers the most concise, self-contained introduction to this rapidly developing field. Requiring only a background in elementary calculus and elementary mechanics, this book starts with the basics, introduces the most important developments in classical statistical mechanics over the last thirty years, and guides readers to the very threshold of today's cutting-edge research. Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell zeroes in on the most relevant and promising advances in the field, including the theory of phase transitions, generalized Brownian motion and stochastic dynamics, the methods underlying Monte Carlo simulations, complex systems—and much, much more. The essential resource on the subject, this book is the most up-to-date and accessible introduction available for graduate students and advanced undergraduates seeking a succinct primer on the core ideas of statistical mechanics. Provides the most concise, self-contained introduction to statistical mechanics Focuses on the most promising advances, not complicated calculations Requires only elementary calculus and elementary mechanics Guides readers from the basics to the threshold of modern research Highlights the broad scope of applications of statistical mechanics

The ideal textbook for a one-semester introductory course for graduate students or advanced undergraduates This book provides an essential introduction to the physics of quantum many-body systems, which are at the heart of atomic and nuclear physics, condensed matter, and particle physics. Unlike other textbooks on the subject, it covers topics across a broad range of physical fields—phenomena as well as theoretical tools—and does so in a simple and accessible way. Edward Shuryak begins with Feynman diagrams of the quantum and statistical mechanics of a particle; in these applications, the diagrams are easy to calculate and there are no divergencies. He discusses the renormalization group and illustrates its uses, and covers systems such as weakly and strongly coupled Bose and Fermi gases, electron gas, nuclear matter, and quark-gluon plasmas. Phenomena include Bose condensation and superfluidity. Shuryak also looks at Cooper pairing and superconductivity for electrons in metals, liquid 3He, nuclear matter, and quark-gluon plasma. A recurring topic throughout is topological matter, ranging from ensembles of quantized vortices in superfluids and superconductors to ensembles of colored (QCD) monopoles and instantons in the QCD vacuum. Proven in the classroom, Quantum Many-Body Physics in a Nutshell is the ideal textbook for a one-semester introductory course for graduate students or advanced undergraduates. Teaches students how quantum many-body systems work across many fields of physics Uses path integrals from the very beginning Features the easiest introduction to Feynman diagrams available Draws on the most recent findings, including trapped Fermi and Bose atomic gases Guides students from traditional systems, such as electron gas and nuclear matter, to more advanced ones, such as quark-gluon plasma and the QCD vacuum

A fully updated edition of the classic text by acclaimed physicist A. Zee Since it was first published, Quantum Field Theory in a Nutshell has quickly established itself as the most accessible and comprehensive introduction to this profound and deeply fascinating area of theoretical physics. Now in this fully revised and expanded edition, A. Zee covers the latest advances while providing a solid conceptual foundation for students to build on, making this the most up-to-date and modern textbook on quantum field theory available. This expanded edition features several additional chapters, as well as an entirely new section describing recent developments in quantum field theory such as gravitational waves, the helicity spinor formalism, on-shell gluon scattering, recursion relations for amplitudes with complex momenta, and the hidden connection between Yang-Mills theory and Einstein gravity. Zee also provides added exercises, explanations, and examples, as well as detailed appendices, solutions to selected exercises, and suggestions for further reading. The most accessible and comprehensive introductory textbook available Features a fully revised, updated, and expanded text Covers the latest exciting advances in the field Includes new exercises Offers a one-of-a-kind resource for students and researchers Leading universities that have adopted this book include: Arizona State University Boston University Brandeis University Brown University California Institute of Technology Carnegie Mellon College of William & Mary Cornell Harvard University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Northwestern University Ohio State University Princeton University Purdue University - Main Campus Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rutgers University - New Brunswick Stanford University University of California - Berkeley University of Central Florida University of Chicago University of Michigan University of Montreal University of Notre Dame Vanderbilt University Virginia Tech University