This textbook provides comprehensive information on general and statistical thermodynamics. It begins with an introductory statistical mechanics course, deriving all the important formulae meticulously and explicitly, without mathematical shortcuts. In turn, the main part of the book focuses on in-depth discussions of the concepts and laws of thermodynamics, van der Waals, Kelvin and Claudius theories, ideal and real gases, thermodynamic potentials, phonons and all related aspects. To elucidate the concepts introduced and to provide practical problem-solving support, numerous carefully worked-out examples are included.
The text is clearly written and punctuated with a number of interesting anecdotes. The book also provides alternative solutions to problems and second equivalent explanations of important physical concepts. This second edition has been expanded to cover the foundations of superconductivity with new chapters on Cooper pairs, the Bogoliubov transformation, and superconductivity. It is suitable as a main thermodynamics textbook for upper-undergraduate students and provides extensive coverage, allowing instructors to 'pick and choose' the elements that best match their class profile.
The text is clearly written and punctuated with a number of interesting anecdotes. The book also provides alternative solutions to problems and second equivalent explanations of important physical concepts. This second edition has been expanded to cover the foundations of superconductivity with new chapters on Cooper pairs, the Bogoliubov transformation, and superconductivity. It is suitable as a main thermodynamics textbook for upper-undergraduate students and provides extensive coverage, allowing instructors to 'pick and choose' the elements that best match their class profile.
From the reviews:
"Tahir-Kheli ... is to be commended for covering a wide array of thermodynamics topics ranging from classical to statistical subjects. ... He engages the reader with many well-stated exercises followed by detailed solutions. ... a must for science and engineering graduate students engaged in theoretical and experimental thermodynamics and statistical mechanics research; it solidly provides a wide range of relationships that may be pivotal in that field and other related areas such as biophysics and bioengineering. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students through professionals." (R. N. Laoulache, Choice, Vol. 50 (7), March, 2013)
"Tahir-Kheli ... is to be commended for covering a wide array of thermodynamics topics ranging from classical to statistical subjects. ... He engages the reader with many well-stated exercises followed by detailed solutions. ... a must for science and engineering graduate students engaged in theoretical and experimental thermodynamics and statistical mechanics research; it solidly provides a wide range of relationships that may be pivotal in that field and other related areas such as biophysics and bioengineering. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students through professionals." (R. N. Laoulache, Choice, Vol. 50 (7), March, 2013)