Statistical Physics I
MIT OpenCourseWare's introduction to probability, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics, covering the tools needed to analyze physical systems with many interacting parts. Examples span magnetism, polyatomic gases, thermal radiation, electrons in solids, and noise in electronic devices, grounding abstract concepts like entropy and partition functions in concrete physical problems. The course is an elective in MIT's undergraduate Energy Studies Minor, which connects science, technology, and social sciences around energy and environmental challenges. Materials include lecture notes, problem sets, and exams from MIT's OpenCourseWare archive, allowing self-paced study without enrollment. No certificate is offered, since OCW publishes course materials rather than running a graded platform. The course assumes prior exposure to classical mechanics and calculus and builds toward applications in condensed matter and electronics, making it suited to students who already have an undergraduate physics foundation.