The material presented in this invaluable textbook has been tested in two courses. One of these is a graduate-level survey of statistical physics; the other, a rather personal perspective on critical behavior. Thus, this book defines a progression starting at the book-learning part of graduate education and ending in the midst of topics at the research level. To supplement the research-level side the book includes some research papers. Several of these are classics in the field, including a suite of six works on self-organized criticality and complexity, a pair on diffusion-limited aggregation, some papers on correlations near critical points, a few of the basic sources on the development of the real-space renormalization group, and several papers on magnetic behavior in a plain geometry. In addition, the author has included a few of his own papers.
Sample Chapter(s)
Introduction (109 KB)
Chapter 1: The Lectures - A Survey (109 KB)
Chapter 2: One Particle and Many (201 KB)
Chapter 3: Gaussian Distributions (192 KB)
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Contents:
- Fundamentals of Statistical Physics:
- The Lectures — A Survey
- One Particle and Many
- Gaussian Distributions
- Quantum Mechanics and Lattices
- Random Dynamics:
- Diffusion and Hopping
- From Hops to Statistical Mechanics
- Correlations and Response
- More Statistical Mechanics:
- Statistical Thermodynamics
- Fermi, Bose, and Other
- Phase Transitions:
- Overview of Phase Transitions
- Mean Field Theory of Critical Behavior
- Continuous Phase Transitions
- Renormalization in One Dimension
- Real Space Renormalization Techniques
- Duality
- Planar Model and Coulomb Systems
- XY Model, Renormalization, and Duality
Readership: Undergraduates, postgraduate students and researchers in physics.
“Leo Kadanoff has been a pioneer in the elucidations of cooperative phenomena, in both equilibrium and nonequilibrium systems. His insights are deep and he expresses them lucidly. This book is full of such goodies and is a pleasure to read and contemplate. Very highly recommended for both experts and novices.”
Joel L Lebowitz
Rutgers University
“Leo Kadanoff is one of the deep thinkers in statistical physics and that is apparent on almost every page of his “Statistical Physics: Statics, Dynamics, and Renormalization”. This is a mixture of pedagogy, history (including reprints of classical or especially apt papers), and original thoughts, full of wisdom and with many startling insights. It is based in part on lectures Professor Kadanoff has given in graduate courses at the University of Chicago. His students and other attendees were most fortunate; I wish I had been among them!”
Benjamin Widom
Cornell University
“This long-awaited book is an elegant and rather personal account of statistical mechanics that stands out from the pack for many reasons. Not only does it conspicuously emphasize the different treatments afforded to different levels of description, but it also discusses the connection between dynamical systems theory and the foundations of statistical mechanics. Kadanoff's pioneering contributions to phase transitions and the renormalization group are covered in a marvellous retrospective that will be engaging to novice and expert alike. And the book is rounded out with an interesting selection of advanced topics and reprints, that will make it an essential part of a modern graduate course on statistical physics.”
Nigel Goldenfeld
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
“From a scientist reknown for his work, his lectures and very articulate opinions, this book is a completely new attempt to reconsider the traditional teaching of the whole subject of statistical physics. Avoiding any heavy formalism, Prof Kadanoff has chosen to introduce the main concepts through simple models which are far superior for understanding the subject in real depth. A little more than half of the book is devoted to the theory of phase transitions, a subject which owes so much to the author. Scaling theory and renormalization group are described in a remarkably simple and lucid manner. This book will be greatly enjoyed by its readers, academics and students all together.”
Edouard Brezin
Ecole Normale de Superieure, Paris
“Leo Kadanoff's, Statistical Physics: Statistics, Dynamics and Renormalization, offers an exciting new textbook choice for those teaching a course in statistical physics. In many ways the book breaks new ground in presentation, style, and choice of topics. It will be particularly appreciated for its emphasis on providing tools appropriate to the most active and important new research areas in statistical physics … Kadanoff's lucid exposition and organization are clearly informed by his own unique view of the subject gained from a life-time of creative thought and profound contributions in statistical physics.”
Ed Ott
University of Maryland
“… this masterly written book on modern statistical physics by the old master in the field can be highly recommended as an excellent graduate textbook on statistical physics as well as a source on research in this very progressive field of nonlinear science.”
Mathematics Abstracts
“… Statistical Physics is a collection of valuable essays and papers. Both the text and the reprints display Kadanoff's ingenuity, imagination, and clarity. They're worth having and reading.”
Physics Today
“This is a wonderful book by one of the leading contemporary masters of the field. It excels not only in the topics covered but also in the author's unique approach to these topics.”
Journal of Statistical Physics
“… Kadanoff is a famous and reliable guide. At 23 pounds this is a good buy.”
Progress in Quantum Electronics
“… this masterfully written book on modern statistical physics by an old master in the field can be highly recommended as an excellent graduate textbook on statistical physics as well as a source on research in this very active field of nonlinear science.”
Mathematical Reviews
“Basic concepts are introduced in a clear and compact way, where the ‘fruit fly’ of statistical physics, the Ising model, is a kind of standard example. The whole is supported by a collection of classic papers, which in many cases, marked important steps in our understanding and/or lead to new ways of thinking about, for example, phase transitions. This is an interesting book, which can serve both as the basis of a modern statistical physics course as well as a guide to modern developments, which are often not covered in statistical physics courses.”
Contemporary Physics
