Statistical Mechanics

"Excellent … a welcome addition to the literature on the subject." — Science

Before the publication of this standard, oft-cited book, there were few if any statistical-mechanics texts that incorporated reviews of both fundamental principles and recent developments in the field.

In this volume, Professor Hill offers just such a dual presentation — a useful account of basic theory and of its applications, made accessible in a comprehensive format. The book opens with concise, unusually clear introductory chapters on classical statistical mechanics, quantum statistical mechanics and the relation of statistical mechanics to thermodynamics. Then follows a wide-ranging, detailed examination of various applications. Chapter 4 deals with fluctuations. The fifth chapter treats the theory of imperfect gases and condensation, largely following Mayer's theory but also giving some new, alternative derivations and discussing in the final section Yang and Lee's theory. The sixth chapter is devoted to a discussion of distribution functions and the theory of the liquid state. Chapter 7 deals with nearest-neighbor (Ising) lattice statistics, while the last chapter discusses free-volume and hole theories of liquids and solids.

Written primarily for graduate students and researchers in chemistry, physics and biology who already have some acquaintance with statistical mechanics, the book lends itself to use as a text for a second course in statistical mechanics, as a supplement to a first course or for self-study or reference. The level is neither introductory nor highly sophisticated; the author has generally emphasized material that is not available in other books. In addition, selected bibliographic references at the end of each chapter suggest supplementary reading.