Statistical Physics: An Introductory Course » (New Edition)

This textbook is an introduction to statistical physics that has been written primarily for self-study. It provides a comprehensive approach to the main ideas of statistical physics at the level of an introductory course, starting from the kinetic theory of gases and proceeding all the way to Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics. Each idea is brought out with ample motivation and clean, step-by-step deductive exposition. The key points and methods are presented and discussed on the basis of concrete representative systems, such as the paramagnet, Einstein's solid, the diatomic gas, black body radiation, electric conductivity in metals and superfluidity.

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A textbook for one-semester undergraduate course for students in physics and engineering who are acquainted with calculus, basic mechanics, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics and are familiar with thermodynamic concepts. Amit (U. of Rome, the Hebrew U.) and Verbin (Open U. of Israel) find even the most elementary introductions to thermodynamics and statistical physics are often abstract and axiomatic, so proceed instead with concrete representative systems, treating general ideas as casual by-products, though seriously enough to avoid the impression of a number of unrelated special cases. The original Hebrew edition was published by the Open University of Israel in 1995. Paper edition (3476-7) $34. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)