Statistical Mechanics: A Concise Introduction for Chemists van B. Widom is an English-language textbook that offers a clear introduction to statistical mechanics. This book is intended for beginning graduate students and advanced undergraduate students in chemistry and physics.
It covers the theoretical foundations of statistical mechanics and connects the properties of macroscopic systems with their microscopic structure. The book begins with statistical thermodynamics and quickly leads to the most important formulas. These applications are then illustrated with both classical and quantum-mechanical examples, such as the ideal gas.
With extensive illustrations, practice problems, and worked solutions, this concise introduction is suitable for use in a course of 8 to 12 lectures. It aligns thematically with fields such as thermochemistry, chemical thermodynamics, and physics within physical chemistry.