PHYSICS 831 : GRADUATE LEVEL STATISTICAL MECHANICS

Instructor: Scott Pratt
prattsc@msu.edu
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, #2044
(517) 908-7460
Lecture:
Mon./Wed./Fri. 9:10-10:00 AM
#1420 BPS
Office Hours:
Mon./Wed. 3-4 PM #2044 NSCL

Scott's Photo
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Dr. Pratt will be out of town Nov. 6-9.
TEXT BOOK:
Lecture notes can function as text book, but good idea to buy one to have something more permanent and to get a different perspective.
Some to consider:
R.K. Pathria and Paul D. Beale, Statistical Mechanics (3rd ed.), Elsevier (2011). ISBN: 978-0123821881
Kerson Huang, Statistical Mechanics (2nd ed.), John Wiley and Sons (1987), ISBN-13: 978-0471815181
LECTURE NOTES:
Posted lecture notes are not meant to be a replacement for textbook.
Beware!!! These are living documents and will change without notice.
GRADING WEIGHTS:
Homework (due nearly every Friday at the beginning of class): 10%
Numerous (nearly every week) Friday quizzes: 50%
Final Exam (subject exam): 40%
CALENDAR:
Quizzes will be held every Friday, except Nov. 10, unless otherwise announced.
The final/subject exam will be 3 hours:
Monday, December 11, 7:45 AM - 11:00 AM, 1400 BPS
 The last 2 weeks of lecture will be devoted to preparing for the subject exam.
HOMEWORK:
WILL change as semester progresses -- so be careful about working ahead.
Set 1, due Fri. Sep. 8
    Chapter 1 (1-5)
Set 2, due Fri. Sep. 15
    Chapter 1 (6-9) & Chapter 2 (1-4)
Set 3, due Fri. Sep. 22
    Chapter 2 (5-11)
Set 4, due Fri. Sep. 29
    Chapter 2 (12,14), Chapter 3 (1)
Set 5, due Fri. Oct. 6
    Chapter 3 (2,3), Chapter 4 (1,2)
Set 6, due Fri. Oct. 13
   Chapter 4 (3-7)
Set 7, due Fri. Oct. 20
    Chapter 4 (8-11),
Set 8, due Fri. Oct. 27
    Chapter 4 (12-16),
Set 9, due Fri. Nov. 3
    Chapter 5 (1-7)
Set 9, due Fri. Nov. 17
    Chapter 6 (1-4).
Set 10, due Mon. Nov. 27
    Chapter 6 (5-7).

Homework Grader: Dustin Frisbie, frisbie@nscl.msu.edu, hours TBD

HW SOLUTIONS
SUBJECT EXAM PRESENTATIONS:
Each team will design and present one problem they think will make appropriate exam problem. Each team will email me two PDFs -- one listing problem, the second the solution. PDFs only! The non-solutions PDFs need to be emailed to me by the date listed below for their problem. I will pass out a copy of the problems, without solutions, to all the class. I will also need the solutions emailed to me by the end of the day your problem was presented.

Each group will present problem and solution. You need to keep this at about 12 minutes per problem. We will also expect an additional few minutes for questions.Ten point grade will be given for presentation of solutions. These grades, like the programming grade, all get added to your quiz grade.

GROUP I (SUNDAY, Nov. 27)
Ammerman, Zhu Chapter 1: 1.1-1.4 problem solution
Anthony, Yu Chapter 1: 1.5-1.9 problem solution
Ash, Young Chapter 1: 1.10-1.11 problem solution
Hall, Hamaker Chapter 1: (conceptual) problem solution


GROUP II (TUESAY, Nov. 29)
Baez, YandowChapter 2: 2.1-2.2 problem solution
Balcewicz, Wright Chapter 2: 2.3-2.4 problem solution
Boles, TehChapter 2: 2.6-2.7 (conceptual) problem solution


GROUP III (THURSDAY, Nov. 30)
Branson, SurbrookChapter 3: 3.1-3.2 problem solution
Bromell, Shin Chapter 3: 3.5-3.6 problem solution
Harris, HaugenChapter 3: (conceptual) problem solution


GROUP IV (SUNDAY, DEC. 3)
Buxo Vazquez, SavunurChapter 4: 4.1-4.3 problem solution
Cooling, SarkarChapter 4: 4.4,4.6 problem solution
Hemmerle, KilgoreChapter 4: 4.1-4.6 (conceptual) problem solution


GROUP V (TUESDAY, Dec 5)
Douglas, RhodesChapter 4: 4.7-4.10 problem solution
Fan, Reyes RiveraChapter 4: 4.11-4.12 problem solution
Gottschalk, QuinonezChapter 5: 5.1 problem solution
Grinder, PeiskerChapter 5: 5.2-5.3 problem solution


GROUP VI (THURSDAY, Dec 7)
Valverde, Hamerski
Chapter 5: 5.4 (conceptual) problem solution
Krowpman, MishraChapter 6: 6.1-6.4 problem solution
Lake, MaldonadoChapter 6: 6.5-6.8 (conceptual) problem solution
LaRose, LunChapter 6: 6.5-6.8 (conceptual) problem solution


Final is Monday, Dec. 11th at 7:45 AM in 1400 BPS.
Final will cover everything except: 2.8 (Interative Techniques for Canonical Ensembles), 2.9 (complex chem. potentials)
4.5 (relativistic hydrodynamics), Chapter 7, Chapter 8.
LANGEVIN PROJECT:
Instructions
sample.cc
sample.py
QUIZZES:
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Quiz #5
Quiz #6
Quiz #7
Quiz #8
QUIZZES FROM FALL 2016:
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Quiz #5
Quiz #6
Programming Project (working program  to download)
QUIZZES FROM FALL 2013:
 Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Quiz #5
Quiz #6
Quiz #7
Quiz #8
Quiz #9
QUIZZES FROM FALL 2009:
 Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Quiz #5
Quiz #6
Quiz #7
QUIZZES FROM FALL 2008:
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Quiz #5
Quiz #6
Quiz #7
Quiz #8
Quiz #9
Quiz #10
Quiz #11
QUIZZES FROM FALL 2007:
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Quiz #5
Quiz #6
Quiz #7
Quiz #8
Quiz #9
Quiz #10
Quiz #11
QUIZZES FROM FALL 2006:
Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Quiz #4
Quiz #5
Quiz #6
Quiz #7
Quiz #8
Quiz #9
OLD SUBJECT EXAMS:
Fall 2005
Summer 2006
Fall 2006
Fall 2007
Fall 2008
Summer 2009
Fall 2009
Summer 2010
Fall 2011(Duxbury)
Fall 2013
Fall 2016
Fall 2017
PRACTICE FOR SUBJECT EXAM:
 Practice Questions
Practice Quiz #1
Practice Quiz #2
Practice Quiz #3
Practice Quiz #4
Practice Quiz #5
Practice Quiz #6
Practice Quiz #7
Practice Quiz #8
Practice Quiz #9
STUDENT COMPOSED QUESTIONS (some are screwy):
Group 1 questions
Group 2 questions

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