This undergraduate textbook provides a statistical mechanical foundation to the classical laws of thermodynamics via a comprehensive treatment of the basics of classical thermodynamics, equilibrium statistical mechanics, irreversible thermodynamics, and the statistical mechanics of non-equilibrium phenomena.

Statistical Physics: An Entropic Approach

• Provides an excellent introduction to classical thermodynamics
• Covers key topics within the physics undergraduate curriculum that are accessible also to students in chemistry and engineering disciplines
• Dispels confusion over the nature of entropy, offering a coherent and consistent treatment of Boltzmann, Gibbs and Shannon models
• Features clear pictorial representations of statistical systems, illustrating thermodynamic approaches
• Develops statistical thermodynamics for a range of systems and applications
• Features advanced sections on stochastic dynamics and fluctuation relations, including recent ideas concerning the stochastic definition of entropy production, together with suggested further reading on these them