Instructor’s Manual
Containing Solutions to
Over 250 Problems
Selected From
STATISTICAL MECHANICS
(THIRD EDITION)
By
R. K. Pathria and PAUL. D. BEALE
1
,2
,Preface
This instructor’s manual for the third edition of Statistical Mechanics is based
on RKP’s instructor’s manual for the second edition. Most of the solutions
here were retypeset into TeX from that manual. PDB is responsible for the
solutions of the new problems added in the third edition. The result is a manual
containing solutions to some 280 problems selected from the third edition.
The original idea of producing an instructor’s manual first came from RKP’s
friend and colleague Wing-Ki Liu in the 1990’s when RKP had just embarked
on the task of preparing the second edition of Statistical Mechanics.
This should provide several benefits to the statistical mechanics instructor.
First of all, there is the obvious advantage of saving time that one would oth-
erwise spend on solving these problems oneself. Secondly, before one selects
problems either for homework or for an exam, one can consult the manual to
determine the level of difficulty of the various problems and make one’s selection
accordingly. Thirdly, one may even use some of these solved problems, especially
the ones appearing in later chapters, as lecture material, thereby supplementing
the text. We hope that this manual will enhance the usefulness of the text –
both for the instructors and (indirectly) for the students.
We implore that instructors not share copies of any of the material in this
manual with students or post any part of this manual on the web. Students
learn best when they work together and struggle over difficult problems. Readily
available solutions interfere with this crucial aspect of graduate physics training.
R.K.P. San Diego, CA
P.D.B. Boulder, CO Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
3
, 4
Containing Solutions to
Over 250 Problems
Selected From
STATISTICAL MECHANICS
(THIRD EDITION)
By
R. K. Pathria and PAUL. D. BEALE
1
,2
,Preface
This instructor’s manual for the third edition of Statistical Mechanics is based
on RKP’s instructor’s manual for the second edition. Most of the solutions
here were retypeset into TeX from that manual. PDB is responsible for the
solutions of the new problems added in the third edition. The result is a manual
containing solutions to some 280 problems selected from the third edition.
The original idea of producing an instructor’s manual first came from RKP’s
friend and colleague Wing-Ki Liu in the 1990’s when RKP had just embarked
on the task of preparing the second edition of Statistical Mechanics.
This should provide several benefits to the statistical mechanics instructor.
First of all, there is the obvious advantage of saving time that one would oth-
erwise spend on solving these problems oneself. Secondly, before one selects
problems either for homework or for an exam, one can consult the manual to
determine the level of difficulty of the various problems and make one’s selection
accordingly. Thirdly, one may even use some of these solved problems, especially
the ones appearing in later chapters, as lecture material, thereby supplementing
the text. We hope that this manual will enhance the usefulness of the text –
both for the instructors and (indirectly) for the students.
We implore that instructors not share copies of any of the material in this
manual with students or post any part of this manual on the web. Students
learn best when they work together and struggle over difficult problems. Readily
available solutions interfere with this crucial aspect of graduate physics training.
R.K.P. San Diego, CA
P.D.B. Boulder, CO Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
3
, 4
