This book is an informal, readable introduction to the basic ideas of thermal physics. It is aimed at making the reader feel comfortable with the extremum principles of entropy and free energies. There is a repeating theme: Molecules (spins) do X to maximize their entropy, and molecules (spins) do XX to minimize their free energy. This finally leads to the idea of the Landau-Ginzburg free energy functional. The author illustrates how powerful the idea is by using two examples from phase transitions.
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This book is an informal, readable introduction to the basic ideas of thermal physics. It is aimed at making the reader feel comfortable with the extremum principles of entropy and free energies. There is a repeating theme: Molecules (spins) do X to maximize their entropy, and molecules (spins) do XX to minimize their free energy. This finally leads to the idea of the Landau-Ginzburg free energy functional. The author illustrates how powerful the idea is by using two examples from phase transitions.
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Seller's Description:
Good in Good dust jacket. 9810248741. x, 201pp + 1 unnumbered pages. Equations, diagrams, tables, bibliography, index. Book has black cloth hardcover with silver text on spine. Dust jacket black with white and green text, illustration on front cover. Very minor wear on corners. Text is clear and unmarked.; 8.6 X 6.2 X 0.6 inches; 212 pages.
