Introduction

Let us briefly review the material that we have covered in this course so far. We started off by studying the mathematics of probability. We then used probabilistic reasoning to analyze the dynamics of many-particle systems, a subject area known as statistical mechanics. Next, we explored the physics of heat and work, the study of which is termed thermodynamics. The final step in our investigation is to combine statistical mechanics with thermodynamics. In other words, to investigate heat and work via statistical arguments. This discipline is called statistical thermodynamics, the study of which will form the central subject matter of this course. This chapter constitutes an introduction to the fundamental concepts of statistical thermodynamics. The remaining chapters will then explore the various applications of these concepts.