Module II. Conceptual overview and linear response theory.
- Review of undergraduate Statistical Physics (ensemble theory etc), and
preview of new ideas (emergent phenomena).
- Overview of important ideas needed for a deeper study
of phase transitions and critical phenomena in low temperature matter (spontaneously broken symmetry, long range order, Goldstone modes, broken ergodicity,
diverging timescales etc).
- Analysis of thermodynamic fluctuations. Linear response theory: Derivation of linear response kernel from
time dependent perturbation theory.
- Linear response theory: Properties of linear response kernel
(analyticity in upper half plane, Kramers-Kronig type dispersion relations).
- Linear response theory: Fluctuation-dissipation theorem. Broad-brush
introduction to systems of interest in condensed matter physics.
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