Statistical and Thermal Physics: With Computer Applications, Second Edition

A completely revised edition that combines a comprehensive coverage of statistical and thermal physics with enhanced computational tools, accessibility, and active learning activities to meet the needs of today's students and educators

This revised and expanded edition of Statistical and Thermal Physics introduces students to the essential ideas and techniques used in many areas of contemporary physics. Ready-to-run programs help make the many abstract concepts concrete. The text requires only a background in introductory mechanics and some basic ideas of quantum theory, discussing material typically found in undergraduate texts as well as topics such as fluids, critical phenomena, and computational techniques, which serve as a natural bridge to graduate study.

• Completely revised to be more accessible to students
• Encourages active reading with guided problems tied to the text
• Updated open source programs available in Java, Python, and JavaScript
• Integrates Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations and other numerical techniques
• Self-contained introductions to thermodynamics and probability, including Bayes' theorem
• A fuller discussion of magnetism and the Ising model than other undergraduate texts
• Treats ideal classical and quantum gases within a uniform framework
• Features a new chapter on transport coefficients and linear response theory
• Draws on findings from contemporary research
• Solutions manual (available only to instructors)

Harvey Gould is Professor Emeritus of Physics at Clark University. Jan Tobochnik is the Dow Distinguished Professor of Natural Science at Kalamazoo College. They are the coauthors, with Wolfgang Christian, of An Introduction to Computer Simulation Methods: Applications to Physical Systems.