Elementary Principles in Statistical Mechanics (Dover Books on Physics) by J. Willard Gibbs (PDF)

Description

Written by J. Willard Gibbs, the most distinguished American mathematical physicist of the nineteenth century, this book was the first to bring together and arrange in logical order the works of Clausius, Maxwell, Boltzmann, and Gibbs himself. The lucid, advanced-level text remains a valuable collection of fundamental equations and principles. Topics include the general problem and the fundamental equation of statistical mechanics, the canonical distribution of the average energy values in a canonical ensemble of systems, and formulas for evaluating important functions of the energies of a system. Additional discussions cover maximum and minimal properties of distribution in phase, a valuable comparison of statistical mechanics with thermodynamics, and many other subjects.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐I think if I was a genius at statistical mechanics, like Gibbs was, this book would probably make a good deal more sense than it does right now. I purchased this book thinking that learning directly from Gibbs would be a great way to supplement my thermal physics text, but I think I might need to be at the graduate level to get the most value from it.

⭐The book is a hardbound copy of the paper’s that Gibbs published more than a century ago, yet I found it easier to understand than any Thermo or Stat Mech course I have ever taken. Statistical mechanics is an incredibly difficult subject to gain any intuition on, but Gibbs does an absolutely superb job of explaining the intuitions he needed to invent the theory, and his method for understanding how Statistical Mechanics can so accurately explain the Thermodynamics of our Universe.As a fair warning, you should really understand Classical Lagrangian Mechanics before you can relate to Gibbs’ explanations. But unlike many modern textbooks no intuition of Quantum Mechanics is required, mostly because QM wasn’t invented while Gibbs was writing the damn thing.

⭐The availability of this book is a precious gift to every physics scholar, and it is a a joy to have it on my bookshelf. I am expecting to study it as well, but it may cause me to go blind for no good reason. Based upon the dimensions of the pages and the those of the printed region, each printed character is painfully small–60% smaller than allowable. Considering today’s technology and publishing facilities, it appears that the current publisher has been grossly inconsiderate. How about producing a replacement book having print size that is practical (especially for older people)! I would even pay for it again.

⭐Published in 1901, this is a seminal work in statistical mechanics that set the stage for all later development of the subject.It is not easy to read for several reasons.First, the typesetting has been taken from the original 1901 plates which have not worn well in some places. The printing itself is of high quality, but as the typeface is rather small and very small for footnotes, some characters are very hard to make out.Second, Gibbs, being a product of the nineteenth century, has a tendency towards the grandiloquent and the use of sentences that are overly long.Third, Gibbs’ approach with classical mechanics and mathematical notation, particularly with respect to partial derivatives, is dated.Finally, the subject matter is rather challenging in and of itself.Nonetheless, it is quite nice to actually read the words of the master for one’s self. This book is referred to so often in later works that reading it is almost a necessity for the serious student of the subject at some point.Essentially, this book is a deep, probing, and very logically constructed look at canonical ensembles. Indeed, this is the book where canonical ensembles were defined in the first place. Naturally, the treatment is completely classical as quantum mechanics didn’t even exist when this book was written.It is quite interesting to see the justification that Gibbs provides for introducing the law of canonical distribution, namely that it is simple and leads to strong analogies with thermodynamics. That is, Gibbs does not in any way attempt to justify it on the basis of classical mechanics itself.The interested student should have a strong background in classical mechanics, particularly Hamilton’s formulation, and thermodynamics, and should definitely not be trying to learn statistical mechanics for the first time.Still valuable and thought provoking, but not absolutely essential.

⭐All the equations are missing. So apparently Amazon has no QA. Also the work is available as a pdf although I like the Kindle note taking. Too bad, it would have been nice to use along side my Carnot and Boltzmann works.

⭐I think that every student (and most of scientists) should read J.W.Gibbs’s original work. As a matter of fact, he was never wrong.

⭐I find it hard to believe, but this publisher skipped all the equations in typesetting this book. Since the original book is filled with equations, this edition is incomprehensible. There is a good Dover edition, and it is even possible to get a good PDF of the Dover edition at […]

⭐Mit Book Depository habe ich bisher immer gute Erfahrungen gemacht und bin auch diesmal, was die Lieferung und den äußerlichen Zustand des Buches betrifft, sehr zufrieden.J. Willard Gibbs ist der wohl erste echt amerikanische Physiker von Weltrang, u. a. auch Wegbereiter derVektoranalysis. Dieses Werk ist ein Meilenstein in der Entwicklung der statistischen Mechanik, weshalb eine Bewertung des Inhalts meinerseits fehl am Platze wäre. Wer sich ernsthaft mit diesem Teilgebiet der Physik befassen will, *muss* Gibbs’ “Elementary Principles” kennen!Aber ich hätte mir eine bessere Druckversion dieses so wichtigen Werkes gewünscht, keine Reproduktion eines alten Bibliotheks-Exemplars der University of California mit etwas unsauberem Druckbild und Verunreingungen und Anstreichungen. Das Buch, 1902 erschienen, ist in den USA gemeinfrei. D.h.: Jeder kann es kopieren und weiterverbreiten.Aber eine Dover-Version mit wirklich einwandfreien Druckbild, ergänzt um eine Würdigng durch einen kompetenten Fachmann von heute, wäre mir lieber.Hier wird einfach, ohne irgendeine Zusatzleistung, die Ablichtung eines alten Bibliothek-Expemplars zwischen neue Buchdeckel gepackt und dafür ordentlich abkassiert.Nur deshalb ein Punkt Abzug. Das Buch selbst ist so bedeutend, dass ein Sterne-Ranking eigentlich lächerlich ist.

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⭐Este libro está escrito por uno de los que han desarrollado la Termodinámica actual y su conexión con la Mecánica Esdística. Gibbs abordó un estudio profundo de los estados de equilibrio y sentido de la evolución de fenóḿenos en Termodinámica. Sus ideas sobre Mecánica Estadística son claras y profundas. Gibbs dió la idea de aplicar la Estadística a un número de estados de un sistema igual al número de configuraciones que el sistema podía presentar, Hipótesis Ergódica. El libro es muy importante para ver la fundamentación de la M. E. en sus inicios.

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⭐En este texto Gibbs desarrolla la teoría de colectividades moderma. Como siempre, la consulta a las fuentes originales es clarificadora. Imprescindible para el estudio serio de la Mecánica Estadística.El único incomveniente de esta edición es que Dover ha bajado el standard de calidad de sus impresiones. Tenía en uso un ejemplar de la biblioteca de mi universidad, una impresión de alta calidad de Dover en buen papel, de hace años. Lo he comprado para tener un ejemplar propio. Pero esta impresión de Dover actual es peor, con peor calidad de impresión y peor papel, no tan agradable para el uso. Es una lástima ya que Dover nos tenía acostumbrados a ediciones excelentes de textos clásicos y parece que está bajando su standard de calidad. Es por ello que no le he calificado con las 5 estrellas.

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⭐a versão em kindle está muito ruim. Como se prestam a disponibilizar essa porcaria de versão. As equações estão ilegíveis. Absurdo. Joguei meu dinheiro fora.

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⭐Es un buen libro, clásico pará mejorar lo aprendido, pero muy mala impresión y algo maltratado

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