Statistical Mechanics: A Set Of Lectures (Advanced Books Classics) [Paperback]

Richard P. Feynman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201360764 | ISBN-13: 978-0201360769 | Publication Date: March 26, 1998 | Edition: 2

Physics, rather than mathematics, is the focus in this classic graduate lecture note volume on statistical mechanics and the physics of condensed matter. This book provides a concise introduction to basic concepts and a clear presentation of difficult topics, while challenging the student to reflect upon as yet unanswered questions.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard P. Feynman was raised in Far Rockaway, New York, and received his Ph.D. from Princeton. He held professorships at both Cornell and the California Institute of Technology. In 1965 he received the Nobel Prize for his work on quantum electrodynamics. He died in 1988.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press; 2 edition (March 26, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201360764
• ISBN-13: 978-0201360769
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #483,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard P. Feynman was born in 1918 and grew up in Far Rockaway, New York. At the age of seventeen he entered MIT and in 1939 went to Princeton, then to Los Alamos, where he joined in the effort to build the atomic bomb. Following World War II he joined the physics faculty at Cornell, then went on to Caltech in 1951, where he taught until his death in 1988. He shared the Nobel Prize for physics in 1965, and served with distinction on the Shuttle Commission in 1986. A commemorative stamp in his name was issued by the U.S. Postal Service in 2005.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book on statistical and condensed matter physics, November 22, 2000

By 

Lars English (Ithaca, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Statistical Mechanics: A Set Of Lectures (Advanced Books Classics) (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book written by one of the greatest teachers of physics on a subject matter often shrouded in mystery. I found it tremendously helpful in understanding many topics in condensed matter physics on a deeper, more conceptual level. The chapters on second quantization, superconductivity and superfluidity are especially illuminating, and the latter is far surperior in clarity than anything I have come across (which is perhaps not surprising considering Feymnman developed much of the theory himself). I highly recommend this book as a supplimentary text for any graduate-level Statistical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics or Solid State course you may be taking.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Overview, July 4, 2005

By 

S. D Webb (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Statistical Mechanics: A Set Of Lectures (Advanced Books Classics) (Paperback)

The Feynman Lectures on Statistical Mechanics contain a great deal of very useful information, and each page is full of solid work without bothering too much with unnecessary details. The book also covers all the bases very well, hitting plenty of good examples, such as spin waves, and the obligatory superconductivity chapter is a solid introduction.

My only complaint is that the ordering of the book is a little haphazard. I understand that it is difficult to include quantum and classical statistical mechanics in one continuous run, but the book seems to jump around a bit.

All this considered, the book is probably a must-buy for people interested in statistical physics, as it is one of the better general overview books available (I despise the Reif; it needs to be updated and completely rearranged), and, as an added bonus, you get to see the Onsager solution to the 2-D Ising model. Cheers!

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars extraordinary Masterpiece!, January 23, 2003

By 

TsungpLee (USTC, China) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Statistical Mechanics: A Set Of Lectures (Advanced Books Classics) (Paperback)

Richard Feynman said:"What I cannot create, I do not understand!". I am really amazed by his unique style of doing physics: he always create anything from scratch, always has his unique point of view, even on an old problem. All I can say about Feynman is Genius!!!
This book is about Feynman's extraordinary viewpoint on statistical mechanics. I can bet that this is an unique S.M book.
but i don't think it's for beginner, I suggest you should finish a standard statistical mechanics course before you read this one.
I can not find suitable words to admire this great book, so I quit here, but in the end, I strongly recommend this book to all physicists, physics-major students!