Introduction to Statistical Physics

Abstract

Statistical physics is a fundamental to ol for understanding a wide range of physical phenomena. Without it, we would b e unable to rigorously study phase transitions in nature, distinguish b etween a metal and an insulator, or explain remarkable phenomena such as gas condensation, sup erconductivity, and sup erfluidity. This cours e is the result of thirteen years of teaching exp erience in this field. I ts main ob jective is to help students understand how to derive the macroscopic prop erties of a system from the microscopic laws that govern the b ehavior of its constituents. This do cument is an improved English version of my 2021 lecture note originally written in French. In this new edition, I have revised and clarified many explanations, added new ideas to enhance conceptual understanding, and included additional exercises to provide more practice and depth. The lecture note is structured into four chapters. The first chapter provides a general intro duction to statistical physics, presenting the key concepts and mathematical to ols used in the study of complex physical systems. The subsequent chapters are dedicated to the detailed study of the various statistical ensembles: micro canonical, canonical, and grand canonical. This course is complemented by a carefully selected and solved set of exercises, ins pired by the textb o ok Statistical Mechanics by R.K. Pathria and Paul D. Beale. These problems are intended to reinforce conceptual understanding and provide practice in applying the formalism. I hope this modest contribution will serve as a helpful resource for Master 1 students in Physics of Materials.