A Student's Guide to Entropy (Student's Guides)

I studied physics almost 30 years ago. Since then I have drifted into software engineering, with an interest in the more mathematical side of things. So I bought this book to check out the similarities between thermodynamic and infortmatic (if that is a word) entropy.I was very pleasantly surprised. The book arrived a few days ago and I have now read five out of the eight chapters - much more than I originally intended - for the simple pleasure of seeing so much, so clearly explained. I wish this book had been available when I was a student!I can identify two reasons why this book is so good:First, it starts with the simplest approach and then builds on those foundations. This makes it easier to understand, because things become only gradually more complex, and also more entertaining - you are constantly questioning what you are shown, and then find that your questions are answered in the next section.Second, it takes pains to explain how things are constructed to have certain properties. This removes much of the "magic" I remembered from the thermodynamics courses I took.But following those two guidelines alone could still produce an awful book. So credit must also go to the general style, and clear writing.[Also, I am amazed another review can claim that the formula do not come with derivations. My only guess is that there's a kind of student who is not happy unless faced with pages and faces of incomprehensible algebra. There is certainly algebra here, but only when necessary. Sometimes you can frame a problem so clearly that the maths is simple to write down.]

This was an absolute delight to read. I am an ex-physicist, so I had some of the required mathematical background, which I'm sure helped. But the author's overview and journey through the topic was great. Clearly the author knew the history of the subject as well as the various shifts in how Entropy was considered from classical through quantum treatments. And he has synthesized all of this into a clear overview that gave me a great understanding and appreciation for entropy worked, to the point where I think most readers who follow the book can apply entropy concepts to almost any system. (And bonus points for also having a brief but surprisingly helpful overview of Gibbs free energy.) I'd read of both Boltzmann's and Planck's contributions before, but the real meaning of what they'd done came through best in this text.I really wish there were other books like this on other deep topics in physics. This is one I'll keep on my (virtual) shelf.

I love this book. My undergraduate Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics course uses Reif for the required text, which I honestly can't stand. I got this book and I'm also using 'Concepts in Thermal Physics' http://www.amazon.com/Concepts-Thermal-Physics-Stephen-Blundell/dp/0199562105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427051543&sr=8-1&keywords=concepts+in+thermal+physics, together I'm learning a lot more than I had been from Reif.This book is concise, which is something missing from many textbooks these days, and very clear. I just wish there was a solutions manual available.

Generally useful, but I find some of the ideas are not presented clearly within the context provided. I have to supply additional context from other writings on entropy.

Before reading this book I was completely lost in the realm of statistical mechanics. This book, though simple, gives a very good foundation for more advanced topics, parting from very simple and intuitive statements. I also like the historical background they include in the understanding of entropy.

A helpful book for those that are lecturing introductory and intermediate thermodynamics. I particularly enjoyed the discussion and approach to entropy. I think that this book is a nice collateral reading, a useful complement to your textbook.

If you like H.B.Callen: Thermodynamics, then this is not the right book for you , it hasn't got the tour de force of Callen.

Entropy must be the most well known and equivalently least understood principle of physics. Lemons does a great job explaining and tries to encompass almost every aspect we know about entropy.

I am very satisfied with the purchase of the last two books.Yours sincerelyJorgen Burgaard

Good book. Great introduction to entropy. Easy to understand. I've been using it in one of my class and find it really good to complete my knowledge.

Muito bom livro 👍. Praticamente todo o meu curso de fisica estatística esta contido nesse livro ( nos próprios exemplos do livro ).

Very understandable, clearly written and with carefully worked-out analyses and derivations. The best undergraduate-level introduction to the topic I have read so far.

* PhysicalThis book is around 181 black and white pictures and texts pages and is very well bound on quality paper. The fonts used here have a good size for those who require spectacles.* Target audience: H.N.D, Undergraduate, Post – Graduate?This book is at undergraduate level for Physics, Engineering, Chemistry, and Mathematics.* What does it cover then?The author of this book does not shirk very early on from the descriptions to guide the fresh reader. Such as ‘What is Entropy?’ This answer can take several descriptions to show its properties. Its major description uses several forms to help spread the load; Thermodynamic Entropy, Statistical Entropy, Entropy of classical systems, Entropy of Quantized systems, Entropy of a non – isolated systems, Entropy of fermion systems, Entropy of Information and macroscopic objects of many parts.* Can you share examples of concepts used in this book?The concepts use variables to explain pressure, volume, temperature, mass, internal forms of energy, and entropy. The idea is in many systems using fundamental particles they can be taken from one value to another. Such as interactions of fundamental particles approach another and interact via gravitation, electromagnetism, or nuclear forces. These interactions among these particles are time reversible. But when used with thermodynamic systems entropy is mostly non-reversible. Such as a cup of coffee left on a table always cools down and not heat up. So as a Loschmidts paradox,’ That many reversible fundamental processes do not always compose a reversible thermodynamic process.’* What’s the mathematical level used like?The first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics are introduced in several ways and try to use just enough explanation’s to give a running description but not the final explicit description. The mathematical level of these descriptions is enough to help the fresh reader, but you require good familiarity with exponential and logarithmic functions, and the simplest multivariate forms of different equations. With some analysis using Greek lettering, and using function’s that have state equations without an explicit formulae to follow. Meaning differential equations of the form energy that use ‘E’, ‘T’, ‘S’,’W’. Such as Boltzmann equation of an ideal gas has a function that plugs into this famous logarithmic equation that is more complicated than Boltzmann’s equation.Boltzmann famous fundamental equation is also revealed is the simplest manner in the sections of ‘Statistical Entropy’ and ‘Entropy of Classical Systems’. It’s taken apart using both exponential and logarithmic functions and it is a really helpful part of the book. It’s a dream is how it’s explored in an open unhindered way. The exploration with Statistical Physics using a Maxwell – Boltzmann distribution is applied. This is with an N - particle ideal gas system in terms of 3N position and 3N momentum coordinates into a 6N dimensional phase space is a short cut model of a 6N form. The later mathematical level after this area does increase in complexity however. Such as many versions of the logarithmic equation in a single equation. So it’s well designed as a route to much more involved calculations, as an example as used with the section about ‘Entropy of Fermion / Boson systems’.The latter section discusses a nice ending of the ‘Entropy of Information’.Update: Before this book i recommend this volume as its primerConcepts in Thermal Physics Paperback – 1 Oct 2009by Stephen J. BlundellPaperback: 512 pagesPublisher: OUP Oxford; 2 edition (1 Oct. 2009)ISBN-10: 0199562105ISBN-13: 978-0199562107* SummaryThis book is a really helpful exploration of this topic I have not before read with any real understanding. You need to read it as many times as you require getting a fundamental comprehension going. I am still a bit woolly about some of these concepts and how it’s applied. And i enjoy going over and over some residual areas i am finding require more work. Overall, It’s a really good book to have and explore this topic in more depth.