An accessible and rigorous approach to thermodynamics and statistical mechanics

In Statistical Thermodynamics: An Information Theory Approach, distinguished physicist Dr. Christopher Aubin delivers an accessible and comprehensive treatment of the subject from a statistical mechanics perspective. The author discusses the most challenging concept, entropy, using an information theory approach, allowing readers to build a solid foundation in an oft misunderstood and critically important physics concept.

This text offers readers access to complimentary online materials, including animations, simple code, and more, that supplement the discussions of complex topics in the book. It provides calculations not usually provided in comparable textbooks that demonstrate how to perform the mathematics of thermodynamics in a systematic way.

Readers will also find authoritative explorations of relevant theory accompanied by clear examples of applications and experiments, as well as:

• A brief introduction to information theory, as well as discussions of statistical systems, phase space, and the Microcanonical Ensemble
• Comprehensive explorations of the laws and mathematics of thermodynamics, as well as free expansion, Joule-Thomson expansion, heat??engines, and refrigerators
• Practical discussions of classical and quantum statistics, quantum ideal gases, and blackbody radiation
• Fulsome treatments of novel topics, including Bose-Einstein condensation, the Fermi gas, and black hole thermodynamics

Perfect for upper-level undergraduate students studying statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, Statistical Thermodynamics: An Information Theory Approach provides an alternative and accessible approach to the subject.

Christopher Aubin, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics at Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, USA. He earned his doctorate in Physics at Washington University in 2004. His research is focused on the area of lattice QCD.