PHYS351
STATISTICAL PHYSICS
- Department
- Physics
- Terms offered
- 8
- Data refreshed
- Jun 27, 2026
Description
This is an introductory course on statistical mechanics which starts with ensemble theory and ends with an introduction to critical phenomena. Starting from probability theory, we will derive relations between microscopic and macroscopic properties of a system. We will review basic thermodynamics and study its statistical interpretation. Methods of statistical mechanics will be used to develop Bose-Einstein and Fermi-Dirac statistics. During the second half of the semester, selected topics will be approached numerically and students will use computer simulations to study more complex, yet more realistic, systems.
Syllabi
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Offering history & forecast 2019–2026
| Year | Fall | Spring | Summer | Intersession |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2030 | 2030 Fall: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 9 fall terms since 2018. | 2030 Spring: 57% chance, medium confidence. Offered in every spring term since 2019. Department faculty is about 11% below its recent average. | 2030 Summer: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 9 summer terms since 2018. | 2030 Intersession: 8% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 6 intersession terms since 2020. |
| 2029 | 2029 Fall: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 10 fall terms since 2017. | 2029 Spring: 60% chance, medium confidence. Offered in every spring term since 2019. Department faculty is about 11% below its recent average. | 2029 Summer: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 10 summer terms since 2017. | 2029 Intersession: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2028 | 2028 Fall: 5% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 11 fall terms since 2016. | 2028 Spring: 63% chance, medium confidence. Offered in every spring term since 2019. Department faculty is about 12% below its recent average. | 2028 Summer: 5% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 11 summer terms since 2016. | 2028 Intersession: 7% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2027 | 2027 Fall: 5% chance, high confidence. Offered in 0 of 12 fall terms since 2015. | 2027 Spring: 66% chance, medium confidence. Offered in every spring term since 2019. Department faculty is about 15% below its recent average. | 2027 Summer: 5% chance, high confidence. Offered in 0 of 12 summer terms since 2015. | 2027 Intersession: 6% chance, medium confidence. Offered in 0 of 7 intersession terms since 2017. |
| 2026 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | No data for this term |
| 2025 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2024 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2023 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2022 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2021 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2020 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | Not offered |
| 2019 | Not offered | 1 section | Not offered | No data for this term |
Future estimates combine recent offering frequency with detected multi-year cycles. Hover a cell for confidence and evidence; low-confidence estimates are marked with ~.
Meeting times
Most recent first- Mon, Thu, 2:50 PM–4:05 PM Sackler Science Center S122 2026
- Tue, Fri, 1:25 PM–2:40 PM Sackler Science Center S121 2025
| Term | Professor | Type | Credits | Enrollment | CRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Alexander P. Petroff | Lecture | 1 | 4 of 20 enrolled | 30789 |
| Spring 2025 | Alexander P. Petroff | Lecture | 1 | 7 of 20 enrolled | 30789 |
| Spring 2024 | Barbara Capogrosso Sansone | Lecture | 1 | 7 of 20 enrolled | 30789 |
| Spring 2023 | Barbara Capogrosso Sansone | Lecture | 1 | 10 of 20 enrolled | 30789 |
| Spring 2022 | Barbara Capogrosso Sansone | Lecture | 1 | 3 of 20 enrolled | 30789 |
| Spring 2021 | Ranjan Mukhopadhyay | Lecture | 1 | 5 of 12 enrolled | 37052 |
| Spring 2020 | Barbara Capogrosso Sansone | Lecture | 1 | 3 of 12 enrolled | 37052 |
| Spring 2019 | Barbara Capogrosso Sansone | Lecture | 1 | 6 of 12 enrolled | 37052 |