Statistical Mechanics II

4-0-8 units · Graduate

Second part of a two-subject sequence on statistical mechanics. Explores topics from modern statistical mechanics: the hydrodynamic limit and classical field theories. Phase transitions and broken symmetries: universality, correlation functions, and scaling theory. The renormalization approach to collective phenomena. Dynamic critical behavior. Random systems.

Spring 2014 · Statistical Mechanics II: Statistical Physics of Fields

Topics

Collective Behavior, from Particles to Fields
Collective Behavior, from Particles to Fields (cont.)
The Landau-Ginzburg Approach (cont.)
Recitation
The Scaling Hypothesis
The Scaling Hypothesis (cont.)
Perturbative Renormalization Group
Perturbative Renormalization Group (cont.)
Recitation (Review for Test)
In-class Test 1
Position Space Renormalization Group
Position Space Renormalization Group (cont.)
Series Expansions
Series Expansions (cont.)
Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures
Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures (cont.)
In-class Test 2
Dissipative Dynamics
In-class Test 3

Readings

Kardar, Mehran. Statistical Physics of Fields . Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN: 9780521873413. [Preview with Google Books ] ↗
Listed reading
Ma, Shang-keng. Modern Theory of Critical Phenomena . Addison-Wesley, 1976. ISBN: 9780805366709.
Listed reading
Stanley, H. Eugene. Introduction to Phase Transitions and Critical Phenomena . Oxford University Press, 1993. ISBN: 9780195014587.
Listed reading
Amit, Daniel J. Field Theory, the Renormalization Group, and Critical Phenomena . Revised 2nd ed. World Scientific Publishing Company, 1984. ISBN: 9789971966102.
Listed reading
Huang, Kerson. Statistical Mechanics . 2nd ed. Wiley, 1987. ISBN: 9780471815181.
Listed reading
Negele, John W., and Henri Orland. Quantum Many-particle Systems .Perseus Books, 1988. ISBN: 9780201125931.
Listed reading
Feynman, Richard Phillips. Statistical Mechanics: A Set of Lectures . Westview Press, 1998. ISBN: 9780201360769. [Preview with Google Books ] ↗
Listed reading
Parisi, Giorgio. Statistical Field Theory . Addison-Wesley, 1988. ISBN: 9780201059854.
Listed reading

Prerequisites & course information

Prereq: 8.333 G (Spring) 4-0-8 units

Sources

Course catalogue ↗2026–2027
MIT OpenCourseWare ↗Spring 2014
MIT OCW syllabus ↗
MIT OCW calendar ↗
Historical MIT OpenCourseWare offering. Named reading entries and schedule topics are automatically extracted from the linked source pages.