Cover; Contents; Preface to the English Edition; Preface; 1: Introduction; 2: Thermodynamics; 3: The Fundamental Postulate; 4: Interaction-Free Systems; 5: Phase Transitions; 6: Renormalization Group; 7: Classical Fluids; 8: Numerical Simulation; 9: Dynamics; 10: Complex Systems; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

Statistical mechanics is one of the most exciting areas of physics today, and it also has applications to subjects as diverse as economics, social behavior, algorithmic theory, and evolutionary biology. Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell offers the most concise, self-contained introduction to this rapidly developing field. Requiring only a background in elementary calculus and elementary mechanics, this book starts with the basics, introduces the most important developments in classical statistical mechanics over the last thirty years, and guides readers to the very threshold of today's cutti.

Print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Translated from the Italian.

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