Statistical Mechanics of Phase Transitions (Oxford Science Publications)

Recent developments have led to a good understanding of universality: why phase transitions in systems as diverse as magnets, fluids, liquid crystals, and superconductors can be brought under the same theoretical umbrella and accurately described by simple models. This book describes thephysics underlying universality and then lays out the theoretical approaches now available for studying phase transitions. Traditional techniques, mean-field theory, series expansions, and the transfer matrix, are described; the Monte Carlo method is covered; and two chapters are devoted to therenormalization group which led to a breakthrough in the field. The book will be useful as a textbook for a course in phase transitions, as an introduction for graduate students undertaking research in related fields, and as an overview for scientists in other disciplines who work with phasetransitions but who are not aware of the current tools of theoretical physics.Yeomans, J. M. is the author of 'Statistical Mechanics of Phase Transitions (Oxford Science Publications)', published 1992 under ISBN 9780198517290 and ISBN 0198517297.