MATH 742, Winter 2005, Phase Transitions
Instructors: Bruce Reed, Vojkan Jaksic
OFFICE: B.R. MC301, V.J. BURN1209
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment
E-MAIL: breed@cs.mcgill.ca, jaksic@math.mcgill.ca
TIME & PLACE: Wednesday, 1-4pm, Burnside 1205
(Note: The course will start on January 12th)
ABOUT THE COURSE: This course will deal with phenomenon of phase
transition in statistical mechanics. The first two weeks will be devoted
to phase transitions in percolation theory. The remaining part of the course
is devoted to statistical mechanics of classical
spin systems
REFERENCES: G. Grimmett, Percolation, Springer, first edition 1989,
second edition 1999;
B. Simon, The Statistical Mechanics of
Lattice Gases, Princeton University Press 1993; R. Israel, Convexity
in the Theory of Lattice Gases, Princeton University Press 1979;
D. Ruelle, Statistical Mechanics: Rigorous Results, World Scientific 1999;
R. Ellis, Entropy, Large Deviations, and Statistical Mechanics, Springer 1985.
Additional reading material will be distributed every week
PREREQUISITES: MATH 564 and 565 (Advanced Real Analysis),
MATH 587 and 589 (Advanced Probability Theory), MATH 741 (Concentration
Inequalities) OR permission of the instructors
GRADING: There will be two homework assignments worth 50%
and a presentation worth 50%
NOTICE: McGill University values academic integrity.
Therefore, all students
must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other
academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary
Procedures (see McGill webpage on
Academic Integ
rity
for more information)
ASSIGNMENTS:
assignment1.ps ,
assignment2.ps
PRESENTATIONS: