Linda E. Reichl Libri

Going beyond traditional textbook topics, 'A Modern Course in Statistical Physics' incorporates contemporary research in a basic course on statistical mechanics. From the universal nature of matter to the latest results in the spectral properties of decay processes, this book emphasizes the theoretical foundations derived from thermodynamics and probability theory underlying all concepts in statistical physics. This completely revised and updated third edition continues the comprehensive coverage of numerous core topics and special applications, allowing professors flexibility in designing individualized courses. The inclusion of advanced topics and extensive references makes this an invaluable resource for researchers as well as students -- a textbook that will be kept on the shelf long after the course is completed.

Based on courses given at the universities of Texas in Austin, and California in San Diego, this book treats an active fields of research that touches upon the foundations of physics and chemistry. It presents, in as simple a manner as possible, the basic mechanisms that determine the dynamical evolution of both classical and quantum systems in sufficient generality to include quantum phenomena. The book begins with a discussion of Noether's theorem, integrability, KAM theory, and a definition of chaotic behavior; it continues with a detailed discussion of area-preserving maps, integrable quantum systems, spectral properties, path integrals, and periodically driven systems; and it concludes by showing how to apply the ideas to stochastic systems. The presentation is complete and self-contained; appendices provide much of the needed mathematical background, and there are extensive references to the current literature. Problems at the ends of chapters help students clarify their understanding. In this new edition, the presentation will be brought up to date throughout, and a new chapter on open quantum systems will be added.