Lecture 1 | Modern Physics: Statistical Mechanics

[@t0kt0k]

Thank you so much for making these available. This is what the internet should be all about.

[@BarriosGroupie]

Susskind is one of those rare physicists that's both a brilliant researcher and teacher

[@astrobassist]

I think the questions are really important, not only for the people physically present at the lecture , but also for me listening now. I respect that Prof. Susskind continually encourages questions and takes them seriously, even if the people on this discussion board do not.

[@Onoma314]

I figured out by watching most of these lectures, that the guy who asks all the questions is the same guy who brings Leonard all the cookies. His name is Michael, I even heard the proff say that he could ask as many questions as he wanted to, as long as he kept the cookies coming :)

[@mysticx0]

i couldnt agree more, i have no way to travel to or even pay for such things but its fantastic that stanford reaches out to those even like me and provides a wealth of information. i couldnt be more pleasantly surprised! thank you!

[@PiningGersha]

susskind does not merely teach - he inspires! and that's awesome...

[@PratyayPoddar]

At the beginning I thought this is a boring video... but after watching it fully, I watched it again and again. And being honest I've to say this is one of the few 2Hrs. long video I watched more than once!!

[@LaureanoLuna]

What I like most about this man is that he's never in a hurry and that he likes math proofs.

[@aftermath4096]

The dude explaining the difference between statistics and probability at 2:40 got it wrong In fact, the exact opposite of what he said is true

[@b.michaelzimmermann4993]

@After Math you're absolutely right.

[@calmeilles]

@18107863 After a few dozen of these lectures I'm shouting "Shuddup Michael" every time I hear that voice.

[@jatinprasath5840]

Can you explain your point@After Math

[@glorymanheretosleep]

Should I be concerned that I didn't get it?

[@BlissLoD]

@@calmeilles Michael is a meme in these lectures. I really like that during the first lectures, even Susskind got fed up with him, making faces when Mike asked anything, but as time went on, he got to like him and smile at him every time. Susskind even stated that "Mike, you can ask any questions, as long as you keep bringing me cookies" :D

[@akamaras]

This lecturer is absolutely great! I wish all the teachers could explain things with such clarity!

[@curiousuniverse7415]

you call this clear

[@dirac17]

Stat Mech was the single most useful class I have taken.

[@hasanhelal9474]

Well that's one

[@pacotaco1246]

Agreed.

[@Eta_Carinae__]

Probability is the inference from a variable's dustribution to the value of that variable; statistics is the inference from the values a variable takes to it's distribution. That's why before Laplace, statistics was called "Inverse Probability".

[@Corranhorn122]

I think you mean probability makes a deduction, while statistics infers

[@Eta_Carinae__]

@@Corranhorn122 Nup. Deduction is a form of inference. If I can simplify: in probability, we start from the distribution and want to find the data; in statistics, we start from the data and want to find the distribution. Does that make sense?

[@ienjoyapples]

na, these kids are seedling physicists, a good teacher like susskind encourages questioning. he understands the kids he's teaching are smart as hell and some of them might be as smart as he is some day.

[@albi7]

The difference between probability and statistics is that in probability we know the distributions, and in statistics we estimate them.

[@phoskins]

The guy who made the comment about the difference between statistics and probability is dead wrong. It has nothing to do with application vs theory. They are closely related fields, but they move in opposite directions. Probability takes a population with given parameters and uses deductive reasoning to draw conclusions about samples of the population. Statistics works the other way. It takes samples and uses inductive reasoning to infer conclusions about the parameters of the larger population.

[@Timberhawk]

I agree. He also sort of sounds like Richard Feynman too. It must be the mild New York accent.

[@likithstochastic]

"There is logarithm in the entropy formula to make the entropy proportional to the number of degrees of freedom". In other words, the logarithm makes the entropy additive when smaller systems are combined to make the big system.

[@TadekTedWilson74777]

😮 WwhhAaTt ?

[@AleifrLeifrson]

I'm supposed to be studying introductory statistics right now, but I'm just so tempted to just watch this xP....just for fun

[@redmotherfive]

Most relaxed erasing hand in the lower 48 👏🏻

[@PiningGersha]

he is such a good explainer that, even though I am not a physics major, I understood completely (I think) what he discussed.

[@shivaagarwal4093]

Deleting information increases temperature by very small amount in any computer or system. Does that apply to our brain as well?

[@ccreutzig]

Sure. It applies to any system.

[@godsownphilosopher]

@mysticx0 Mathematics: Get a good grip on calculus, linear algebra, topology, differential geometry and abstract algebra. Pay special attention to solving differential equations, complex numbers, lie algebras/groups, and manifolds. For physics, make sure you have a solid understanding of classical mechanics (specifically, Lagrangians/Hamiltonians, and Noether's theorem), with electrodynamics and optics. The last three are really fundamental.

[@antoinegar.638]

at: 1:44:00 I do not see the difference between the energy of a sample (here box A in bath B), and the average energy of a sample. If we are choosing one sample (here the box A), it will be in a specific state of energy, I understand the average energy of many boxes but why are we even talking about average energy of a sample? Thx for uploading this! These lecture are by far better than the one given in my class!

[@paulg444]

Lesson 1, some questions and comments from the audience subtract more than add.

[@redrum41987]

No its an adult class for people in the community. Some people may be engineers or mathematians though, but its not for an actual major or degree.

[@aeroscience9834]

Benjamin Franklin did not discover the electron, I know that much. I believe it was JJ Thompson

[@kontiimanalatit8987]

He called it an electrical fluid. Thompson discovered electron

[@andyjiao3114]

'Statement of complete ignorance is equivalent to the statement of complete equivalence.'

[@prakashmuthu5463]

Very effective lecture on Statistical Mechanics, Thank you sir.

[@life42theuniverse]

I think graphs could have greater than two edges/node as long as the ratio is even

[@HeavyProfessor]

no. a priori references the fact that we can assume, or know, without mathematical proof, that, for example, the flipped coin will land on heads and tails equally.

[@DerMacDuff]

OMG all these lectures are so interesting and i cant watch them all at the same time, i think my head explodes

[@redpunk]

+Juan G It's basically like an undergraduate p-chem lecture. Some grad students might be enrolled, if Stanford lets them, or just be auditing the class though. I miss p-chem. P-chem was fucking cool.

[@111nataraja]

"State of complete ignorance is a state where all things are equally probable .... well canned/conserved/expressed life quality/quantity :)

[@MauricioHT]

What a lecture! Totally changed my understanding os statistical mechanics. I'm looking forward for the next one! Thank you very much, Leonard Susskind! That was amazing!

[@lowridrtruck]

if the coin has a 50/50 probability, is this including the probability it will land on its side? a 6sided dice, can only land on 1 of the 6 sides due to is dimensions. However with only two sides, and due to the fact its not completly flat, theres the probability a coin can land on its side. Correct? Given that statements correct, the probability of heads/tails would be ~49.998%.

[@jyotick1686]

Very informative Thank you sir

[@puvaneswarielango3515]

Very informative session thank you sir

[@joseluisarmenta]

in numerical methods the ignorance go like 1/n´2 or 1/n´4 not n cube

[@mdabdulquader8995]

which book should i follow beside of this lectures?

[@DushyanthEdadasula]

Theoretical Minimum books written by him

[@eduardomartinez47]

susskind has a number of lectures in utube about those subjects; check also iit (indian institute of technology)

[@Jasonki1990]

is this is an undergraduate course in statistical mechanics?

[@mysticx0]

where does one begin if one would want to learn more about quantum mechanics, cosmology, string theory etc.? im sure they all feed off of each other but what are the fundamentals? where do i begin?

[@goverdhanyadu6062]

Very nice presentation.Thank u Sir

[@PiningGersha]

would it be correct to say that "a priori" probability is "ideal" probability?

[@ccreutzig]

A priori means “from principles" or “before the observation." The difference gets really important when you look at stochastics from the Bayesian point of view.

[@HINGARAJIYA]

Thank you so much for this valuable lecture

[@claudioarturorojasguerra1867]

It is more convenient to use the constants with their values in MKS System

[@TadekTedWilson74777]

I actually have very good Physics Compression I have friends from UC BERKELEY AIR & SPACE LIVERMORE LABS with joint research with Stanford OK LET ME GIVE IT A TRY I DROPPED AN ASTRONOMY CLASS IN EARLY COMMUNITY COLLEGE BECAUSE TO MANY UNITS PROFESSOR WAS RETIRED STANFORD I REGRET DROPPING THAT CLASS TAP to UCSD THE PAST

[@GoBlue7171]

Oh my god, I can't stand the audience. I wonder how he can stand all their questions (which are really dumb comments). What freaking patience

[@murmaiderman]

I agree. Seems like they are just trying to inflate their self-importance and show the teacher they understand more than they do. Just shut up and listen.

[@blackhole1222]

which textbook is used here?

[@RuggeroTurra]

I don't understand... a student knows what is an hergodic system and the professor need to explaini what is a pdf? I don't know if it is the normal level of physics lecture at Stanford, but it seems low

[@ruyfoton]

Hi, I'm not a native English speaker and I'd like to know what de Z stands for. I heard something like "Zoulch" but I don't know what that means. Could somebody explain it in other words? Thanks

[@AleifrLeifrson]

Does anyone know if the lecture notes, exercises and so forth are freely available on the web, like MIT do?

[@Tripphysicist]

does anyone know where to find the lecture notes that accompany these lectures?

[@JudgeRhadamanthys]

I have always found the subject of statistical physics fascinating, but difficult.

[@harshitkothari4102]

Thanks for lecture

[@victoriagermanotta5583]

Hey guys! What text book do you recommend to study statistical mechanics?

[@khajiit92]

the energy of A fluctuates over time, so you need to take the average energy to do anything useful with it.

[@BarriosGroupie]

@savvvvvvvvvvy he could be someone who loves the sound of their own voice or... someone who thngs the rest of the class may benefit from new things in the question

[@ixsachi]

I am enlightened.

[@physicswithnaeem250]

which book is reading by him please ...? show me or write just name

[@heckler73]

@sirfatah what type of steel?

[@euzebiogb]

1:50:20 --> mind blow

[@ZiliasTheSaint]

I bet Liouville do not recognize its own theorem if follows Susskind class. Maybe Susskind is tired, maybe get distracted by students, something happen making a real mess!

[@xenoepist]

@akamaras Well, not all schools can afford such a great physicist to teach! Most of the engineering and physics teachers in my school are foreign... Really knowledgeable, but hard to understand :/

[@juahnful]

for those who watched the video: does the prof talk about partition function with enough detail? thanks.

[@gamescoop0o0]

m is the measure of my ignorance lol...Thanks Stanford!

[@sunthreepointonefour]

This is not for Stanford students, I think it is an open lecture series.

[@gosho006]

simply as probabilty... greetings from Peru

[@lobisw]

Yes, it is.

[@Giftedlegacy]

I'm only watching this to hear how smart these students are...

[@engeljakob]

sweetchild?

[@RockPrince092]

Standford - 2009 -Statistical Mechanics

[@sureshd.m3011]

Thank you very much sir

[@PiningGersha]

does "statistical" here mean "stochastic"?

[@BarriosGroupie]

@savvvvvvvvvvy the guy asking the stupid questions loves the sound of his own voice

[@PETIKTV]

Is there anyone can solve this problem? Calculate the torsional spring stiffness constant for a steel shaft 0.5" in diameter and 2.5 ft long. Express your result in lbf/rad, and in ft/deg. Thx.

[@pacotaco1246]

It's been a dozen years, did you get an answer?

[@alpdenizk]

"Now let's talk about entropy... *long sigh* Before we talk about entropy let's talk about probability distributions" Professor Susskind with a classic buzzkill :)

[@Blendletan]

You DONT need ergodicity for liouville's theorem..

[@VostSms]

the guy at 3mn is wrong statistics is simply inverse probability.

[@hamedal-khateeb7360]

Now people could get noble prizes with it

[@TheRoliverma]

thank you sir

[@redteamdarkspear]

"Air resistance!" No shit, Einstein, air resistance applies to coins too. The point was already made that most coins are naturally imbalanced. Now go back to taking notes.

[@joseluisarmenta]

for be hergodic need to be a sphere or a a circle but the oscillator is eliptic

[@sureshkumarchoubey3090]

THANKS

[@PiningGersha]

Is he a Nobel lirze winner (in Physics perhaps)?

[@stwahyudi]

Terimakasih dan haturnuhun, this mean, Thank you verymuch

[@AnthonyCH1992]

Love the mathematical aspects of physics... but just hate the theoretical/experimental aspects of it :( Math majors FTW!

[@nector6535]

WOW I didn't know John Malkovich knew so much!!

[@Brandon_Tyr]

This guy is way cooler than John Malkovich

[@fredlockard4509]

lmao

[@joeNonos]

For John, cinema is just a hobby between two courses of physics.

[@HeavyProfessor]

They just repeat side-note mentions from the textbook.

[@drb_physix]

@JahbeOneKanollbee Listen to the next few lectures and you might find out.

[@LeonhardEuler1]

I believe he is talking about an average over time.

[@marawanish]

Hi Salvator, Although i fully agree with your response to Mr.Majmar, i strongly disagree with your opinion about that Islam oppressed women..You first need to read about how the "Pre-islamic" era how women were treated, and how this changed in the "Post-islamic" era...Please be subjective, go read first and get an opinion and then come and speak, scold and do whatever you want...I'm living in a westerner country enjoying awesome culture and learning...Really know what does freedom mean...Cheers

[@mathfeel]

@savvvvvvvvvvy, same idiots, usually ex-engineer, who thinks that the "information theoretic" description of nature is somehow superior, when it cannot offer a single prediction that the traditional approach does not already offer.

[@lolcow]

Mark Saeys led me here!

[@carlosjhr64]

Seems "Statistical Mechanics" is a misnomer, while "Probabilistic Mechanics" just sounds odd.

[@wandahou4050]

carlosjhr64 actually, the word “probability” has more applications in Quantum mechanics and Quantum electrical mechanics, so statistical is a just fine name.

[@ruyfoton]

Thank you

[@joseluisarmenta]

if there is 2 red the probability is 2/6

[@SmartWentCrazy]

Reminds me of Paul G. Hewitt

[@bbsonjohn]

The audience has a large entropy according to 1:19:00

[@NoActuallyGo-KCUF-Yourself]

Mostly Walken.