PHYS 302(S) Statistical Physics (Q)
The natural world is built with many small components interacting in a simple
but coordinated way. With a statistical view, we may make sense of the cooperative phenomena which emerge. For example, we can associate macroscopic
thermodynamic properties with ensembles of microscopic states. With calculations and simple numerical exercises we shall probe a wide variety of physical
phenomena: magnetism, gasses, heat engines, thermal radiation, electrons in
solids, polymers, random walks in fluids or in the stock market, and genomic
information.
Format: lecture/discussion, three hours per week; computer laboratory, two
hours per week. Evaluation will be based on weekly problem sets, tests, labs,
and a small project, all of which have a substantial quantitative component.
Prerequisites: Physics 142, Physics 210. No enrollment limit (expected: 15).