Scaling and Renormalization in Statistical Physics (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780521499590)

This text provides a thoroughly modern graduate-level introduction to the theory of critical behavior. Beginning with a brief review of phase transitions in simple systems and of mean field theory, the text then goes on to introduce the core ideas of the renormalization group. Following chapters cover phase diagrams, fixed points, cross-over behavior, finite-size scaling, perturbative renormalization methods, low-dimensional systems, surface critical behavior, random systems, percolation, polymer statistics, critical dynamics and conformal symmetry. The book closes with an appendix on Gaussian integration, a selected bibliography, and a detailed index. Many problems are included. The emphasis throughout is on providing an elementary and intuitive approach. In particular, the perturbative method introduced leads, among applications, to a simple derivation of the epsilon expansion in which all the actual calculations (at least to lowest order) reduce to simple counting, avoiding the need for Feynman diagrams.

Author: John Cardy
ISBN-10: 0521499593
ISBN-13: 9780521499590
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 04/26/1996
Pages: 260
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.88lbs
Size: 9.12h x 5.94w x 0.68d