Mathematical Statistical Mechanics and Quantum Field Theory, CRN 73560.
This class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:40-3:00pm,
in New Location!
3106 MSB New Location!
Instructor: Bruno Nachtergaele
E-mail: bxn@math.ucdavis.edu
Office: 3142 Mathematical Sciences, Phone: (530) 752-8061
Topical Outline (tentative): Basic principles of statistical mechanics. Classical and quantum lattice systems. Variational principles. Spontaneous symmetry breaking and phase transitions. Cluster expansions. Second quantization and Fock space. Bose and Fermi systems. Introduction to quantum field theory.
Textbooks and References:
D. Ruelle, Statistical Mechanics, Benjamin, 1969.
B. Simon, The Statistical Mechanics of Lattice Gases,
Princeton University Press, 1993
T.C. Dorlas, Statistical Mechanics, Institute of Physics, 1999.
O. Bratteli & D.W. Robinson, Operator Algebras and Quantum
Statistical Mechanics, volume 1 & 2, 2nd edition, Springer 1987, 1997.
Office hours:
Fridays 2:00-3:00pm, or by appointment.
Check your email regularly!
Email is my main means of communicating information outside of class.
All e-mail messages to
the class list are collected in a
Web Archive .
Your grade:
Option 1: Hand in five homework assignments with about five
problems for each homework.
Option 2: Take-home exam.
Homework assignments:
HW 1 in
PDF format;
due on Tuesday, January 24.
HW 2 in
PDF format;
due on Tuesday, February 7.
HW 3 in
PDF
format;
due on Tuesday, February 21.
HW 4 in
PDF
format;
due on Tuesday, March 14.
Lecture Notes:
The Mermin-Wagner Theorem.