Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

Vahid Karimpour

Sharif University of Technology

Description and Prerequisites

This is a three-semester course, so each part is the prerequisite of the next part. We start from the basics of Thermodynamics (the axioms of thermodynamics and their consequences) and ends at advanced and optional topics in Statistical mechanics (e.g. nureal networks). The lecture notes of this course will be revised and uploaded as we go along, but you can see the old lecture notes below. For the second and third parts, only knowledge of the basics of quantum mechanics is assumed.

Some Useful Texts

For further study you can consult any of the following texts.

lecture Notes

These lecture notes are not complete and are being developed as I teach the course from time to time.

Thermodynamics
  • Postulates of Thermodynamics (Updated 15 Day 1403, typos corrected)
  • Thermodynamic Equilibrium (Updated 15 Day 1403, typos corrected)
  • Simple Thermodynamic Systems (Updated 15 Day. 1403, typos corrected)
  • Thermodynamics Processes(Updated 10th Aban 1403, extensive revision)
  • Principle of Minimum Energy and Legendre Transformations (updated 26 Farvardin 1402. )
  • Thermodynamic Potentials (updated 17th Day 1403)
  • Maxwell Relations(updated 18 Day 1403)
  • Thermodynamic Stability (updated 21st Azar 1403)
  • Phase Transitions(updated 14 Day 1403
  • Landau Ginzburg Theory (updated 13 Day 1403)
  • A short note on cricital phenomena (updated 13 Day 1403)

    • Statistical Mechanics
  • Basic Principle of Statistical Mechanics (microcanonical ensemble) Updated on 4th of Aban (1402)
  • Canonical Ensembles (Updated 22nd Azar 1402)
  • Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution (updated 22nd Azar 1402)
  • Radiation and the Photon Gas (Updated 22nd Azar 1402)
  • Non-ideal Gases(updated 5th of Day 1402)
  • Grand Canonical Ensemble(updated 31 Farvardin 1403)
  • Quantum Statistical Mechanics (I)
  • Quantum Statistical Mechanics (II) (updated 31 Farvardin 1403)
  • Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics of Stars

    • Advanced Statistical Mechanics
  • A review of basic principles of Statistical Mechanics (Updated 30 Farvardin 1403)
  • Fermion gas at arbitrary temperatures (updated 30 Farvardin 1403)
  • Boson gas at arbitrary temperaturs (updated 9th Ordibehesht 1403)
  • Cluster Expansion
  • Spin Systems-I (updated 15th Ordibehesht 1403)
  • Spin Systems-II (updated 8th Ordibehesht 1403)
  • Spin Glasses and Neural Networks (Updated 9th Khordad 1403)
  • Theory of Probability(Updated 9th Khordad 1403)
  • Stochastic Processes(Updated 9th Khordad 1403)
  • Stochastic Processes and Reaction-Diffusion Processes
  • Polymers
  • Renormalization group and critical phenomena
    • ...
    Class Schedule and TA's.

    The class holds on Saturdays and Mondays from 10:30 till 12:00 am in room 412. We start on Saturday 14th of Bahman 1402. The TA's are:

    The times of delivering exercises and their due dates are:

    Set No. Release Date Deadline
    1 30 Bahman 1403 15 Esfand 1403
    2 15 Esfand 1403 30 Esfand 1403
    3 30 Esfand 1403 15 Farvardin 1404
    4 15 Farvardin 1404 30 Farvardin 1404
    5 30 Farvardin 1404 15 Ordibehesht 1404
    6 15 Ordibehesht 1404 30 Ordibehesht 1404
    7 30 Ordibehesht 1404 15 Khordad 1404
    8 15 Khordad 1404 30 Khordad 1404
    ...
    Grading Systems

    Your final grade is determined according to the following table: Each exam naturally needs that you know the material up to that exam.

    Score from 20 Date
    Midterm Exam 6 18 Ordibehesht 1404, 9:00 AM
    Homeworks 6 ---
    Final Exam 8 TBA

    So you have 20 points points. The percentage of your Homework grades that is taken into account depends on your Midterm+Final exam according to the following table: Examples: If you get 12 in your midterm + final exam and your homework grade is 6, your final grade will be 18, and if you get 6 in your midterm+final exam and your homework grade is 6, your final grade will be 10.2 and you will marginally pass the course.

    Midterm+Final Grade Percentage of Homework Grades
    [12, 14] 100 Percent
    [10 , 12) 90 Percent
    [8 , 10) 80 Percent
    [6 , 8) 70 Percent
    [4 , 6) 60 Percent
    [0 , 4) 50 Percent