Statistical Mechanics I: Statistical Mechanics of Particles
This MIT OpenCourseWare course covers the first semester of a two-part sequence on statistical mechanics, treating it as a probabilistic approach to the equilibrium properties of systems with large numbers of degrees of freedom. Topics include thermodynamics, probability theory, kinetic theory, classical statistical mechanics, interacting systems, and an introduction to quantum statistical mechanics and identical particles. Materials include lecture notes, problem sets, and exams with solutions, following MIT's standard OCW format for physics courses. The course assumes prior background in thermodynamics and quantum mechanics and is aimed at advanced undergraduates or beginning graduate students. As with other MIT OCW offerings, all materials are free to access and use under a Creative Commons license, with no certificate offered. It provides the mathematical and conceptual foundation for the second course in the sequence, which addresses fluctuations and interacting systems in greater depth.