tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post3702768743980764232..comments2024-03-28T17:13:01.117+10:00Comments on Condensed concepts: Teaching thermo without stat mechRoss H. McKenziehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09950455939572097456noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-4620332198436863102012-03-11T21:00:12.739+10:002012-03-11T21:00:12.739+10:00This year I've started looking at Gould and To...This year I've started looking at Gould and Tobochnik's "Thermal and Statistical Physics". Their presentation of the fundamentals of classical thermodynamics is quite self-contained, which would suit our purposes. <br /><br />In later chapters, they incorporate a lot computer simulation, which might make for an interesting approach to the follow-on stat mech course.<br /><br />Cheers,<br />Joel.Joel Corneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10571214193908691881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-79690590123213626062012-02-13T17:08:52.661+10:002012-02-13T17:08:52.661+10:00I should have mentioned that when Ben Powell taugh...I should have mentioned that when Ben Powell taught the first half of the course he used C.J. Adkins, Equilibrium Thermodynamics, 3rd edition (1983). It does present thermo from a macroscopic point of view. However, it essentially has the look of a 1950s book which is not too appealing to the latest generation of students.<br /><br />Kittel and Kroemer is rather expensive and takes a microscopic approach. It used to be used for our stat. mech. course but I replaced it with Schroeder.<br /><br />Thanks for the tip on Alloul's book.Ross H. McKenziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09950455939572097456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-46041702014206738422012-02-08T02:17:36.382+10:002012-02-08T02:17:36.382+10:00I was taught undergrad. thermo with Kittel & K...I was taught undergrad. thermo with Kittel & Kroemer -- it is not so bad. My favorite condensed matter book now is "Introduction to the Physics of Electrons in Solids" by H Alloul, Springer 2011. First year graduate level but good refresher upper level, fascinating problem sets.Igorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03151690025853038418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5439168179960787195.post-89047657570774845162012-02-04T02:14:08.534+10:002012-02-04T02:14:08.534+10:00The problem that I've had with the idea of ent...The problem that I've had with the idea of entropy as accessibility of equilibrium states is that sort-of invokes dynamics in a field that explicitly does not deal with dynamics. This never made sense to me as a student. Strangely I think that I became more comfortable with how to think about that definition through learning about the information-theoretic concept of entropy, because relative entropy is a useful quantitative model of "accessibility". But even now, I usually need a lot of sleep before I can think clearly about it (which I am not getting now.. It's 2 am and I'm brain dead and exhausted so maybe I shouldn't take up this thread now...).Seth Olsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09304457461800104790noreply@blogger.com