The calendar below provides information on the course's lecture (L), recitation (R), and exam (E) sessions.
SES # | TOPICS | KEY DATES |
---|---|---|
L1 |
Collective Behavior, from Particles to FieldsIntroduction, phonons and elasticity | Problem set 1 out |
L2 |
Collective Behavior, from Particles to Fields (cont.)Phase transitions, critical behavior The Landau-Ginzburg ApproachIntroduction, saddle point approximation, and mean-field theory | |
L3 |
The Landau-Ginzburg Approach (cont.)Spontaneous symmetry breaking and goldstone modes | |
L4 |
The Landau-Ginzburg Approach (cont.)Scattering and fluctuations, correlation functions and susceptibilities, comparison to experiments | |
L5 |
The Landau-Ginzburg Approach (cont.)Gaussian integrals, fluctuation corrections to the saddle point, the Ginzburg criterion | Problem set 2 out |
L6 |
The Scaling HypothesisThe homogeneity assumption, divergence of the correlation length, critical correlation functions and self-similarity | Problem set 1 due |
L7 |
The Scaling Hypothesis (cont.)The renormalization group (conceptual), the renormalization group (formal) | |
L8 |
The Scaling Hypothesis (cont.)The Gaussian model (direct solution), the Gaussian model (renormalization group) | |
R1 | Recitation | |
L9 |
Perturbative Renormalization GroupExpectation values in the Gaussian model, expectation values in perturbation theory, diagrammatic representation of perturbation theory, susceptibility | Problem set 2 due |
R2 | Recitation | |
E1 | In-class Test #1 | Problem set 3 out |
L10 |
Perturbative Renormalization Group (cont.)Perturbative RG (first order) | |
L11 |
Perturbative Renormalization Group (cont.)Perturbative RG (second order), the ε-expansion | |
L12 |
Perturbative Renormalization Group (cont.)Irrelevance of other interactions, comments on the ε-expansion | Problem set 4 out |
L13 |
Position Space Renormalization GroupLattice models, exact treatment in d=1 | |
L14 |
Position Space Renormalization Group (cont.)The Niemeijer-van Leeuwen cumulant approximation, the Migdal-Kadanoff bond moving approximation | Problem set 3 due |
R3 | Recitation | |
L15 |
Series ExpansionsLow-temperature expansions, high-temperature expansions, exact solution of the one dimensional Ising model | |
L16 |
Series Expansions (cont.)Self-duality in the two dimensional Ising model, dual of the three dimensional Ising model | Problem set 4 due |
R4 | Recitation | Problem set 5 out |
E2 | In-class Test #2 | |
L17 |
Series Expansions (cont.)Summing over phantom loops | |
L18 |
Series Expansions (cont.)Exact free energy of the square lattice Ising model | |
R5 | Recitation | |
L19 |
Series Expansions (cont.)Critical behavior of the two dimensional Ising model | Problem set 5 due |
L20 |
Continuous Spins at Low TemperaturesThe non-linear σ-model | Problem set 6 out |
L21 |
Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures (cont.)Topological defects in the XY model | |
L22 |
Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures (cont.)Renormalization group for the coulomb gas | |
L23 |
Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures (cont.)Two dimensional solids, two dimensional melting | |
L24 |
Dissipative DynamicsBrownian motion of a particle | |
R6 | Recitation | |
L25 |
Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures (cont.)Equilibrium dynamics of a field, dynamics of a conserved field | Problem set 6 due |
R6 | Recitation | |
E3 | In-class Test #3 | |
L26 |
Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures (cont.)Generic scale invariance in equilibrium systems, non-equilibrium dynamics of open systems, dynamics of a growing surface | Final project due 2 days after L26 |