Statistical Physics II
Statistical Physics II continues MIT's undergraduate sequence following 8.044, Statistical Physics I. The course covers probability distributions for classical and quantum systems, working through microcanonical, canonical, and grand canonical partition functions and the thermodynamic potentials derived from each. It examines conditions for thermodynamic equilibrium in both homogeneous and heterogeneous systems, connecting statistical mechanics to macroscopic thermodynamic behavior. As MIT OpenCourseWare material, it includes lecture notes, problem sets, and exams used in the actual MIT physics curriculum, free to access with no certificate offered. The course assumes familiarity with the first course in the series and builds toward a fuller treatment of quantum statistical ensembles. It suits students who have already covered basic thermodynamics and want the statistical mechanics formalism used across condensed matter, chemical physics, and astrophysics.