This is a modern introduction to the topic of statistical mechanics, that is, the way in which the interactions between sufficiently large sets of molecules give rise to experimentally observable properties of a system. Click here for the syllabus.
Assignments
- Week 1 - Intro to Python: Complete the interactive tutorial at this link.
- Week 1 - Results (same as at previous link)
- Week 2 - Click here for Homework 1, First two questions due Tuesday Sept 17, 9PM. Written questions due Thursday Sept 19, 5PM.
- Homework 1 Solutions
- Computational Homework 1 Solutions
- Week 3 - Click here for Homework 2, due Wed Sept 25, in class.
- Homework 2 Solutions
- Week 4 - Click here for Homework 3, Computational homework and emailed question due Tuesday Oct 1, 9PM. Written questions due Wed Oct 2, in class.
- Homework 3 Solutions
- Computational Homework 2 Solutions
- Week 6 - Click here for Homework 4, due *Tuesday* Oct 15, in class.
- Homework 4 Solutions
- Week 10 - Revise midterms by *Fri* Nov 8, 5pm.
- Week 10 - Click here for Midterm with Solutions.
- Week 11 - Click here for Homework 5, due Wed Nov 13, in class.
- Homework 5 Solutions
- Week 11 - Langevin Dynamics Computational Homework Results
- Week 12 - Click here for Homework 6, due Wed Nov 20, in class.
- Homework 6 Solutions
- Week 13 - Monte Carlo for the Ising Model: complete the interactive exercises at this link, due before Sun Dec 1, 9pm.
- Week 13 - Computational Homework Results
- Week 14 - Click here for Homework 7, due Wed Dec 11, in class.
Lecture Notes
- Lecture 1 - Intro to Stat Mech and 1-d Diffusion
- Lecture 2 - Probability Continued, Classical Mechanics
- Lecture 3 - Classical Mechanics, Microcanonical Ensemble
- Lecture 4 - Thermo review, Microcanonical Ideal Gas
- Lecture 5 - Canonical Ensemble, Part 1
- Lecture 6 - Canonical Ensemble, Part 2
- Lecture 7 - Real Liquids and Gasses, RDFs
- Lecture 8 - Scattering, and energy from RDFs
- Lecture 9 - RDF and virial expansion
- Lecture 10 - Van der waal's theory and Monte Carlo simulations
- Lecture 11 - Molecular Dynamics Simulations
- Lecture 12 - Enhanced sampling methods, Part 1
- Lecture 13 - Enhanced sampling methods, Part 2
- Lecture 14 - Canonical sampling
- Lecture 15 - Constant Pressure and Chemical Potential
- Lecture 16 - Phase Transitions, pt 1
- Lecture 17 - Phase Transitions, pt 2
- Lecture 18 - Phase Transitions, pt 3
- Lecture 19 - Phase Transitions, pt 4
- Lecture 20 - Non-equilibrium, pt 1
- Lecture 21 - Non-equilibrium, pt 2
- Lecture 22 - Non-equilibrium, pt 3
Past versions of this class
- Material from statmech 2018 can be found at this link.