Synopses & Reviews
Computional physics involves the use of computer calculations and simulations to solve physical problems. This book describes computational methods used in theoretical physics with emphasis on condensed matter applications. Coverage begins with an overview of the wide variety of topics and algorithmic approaches studied in this book. The next chapters concentrate on electronic structure calculations, presenting the Hartree-Fock and Density Functional formalisms, and band structure methods. Later chapters discuss molecular dynamics simulations and Monte Carlo methods in classical and quantum physics, with applications to condensed matter and particle field theories. Each chapter details the necessary fundamentals, describes the formation of a sample program, and includes problems that address related analytical and numerical issues. Useful appendices on numerical methods and random number generators are also included. This volume bridges the gap between undergraduate physics and computational research. It is an ideal textbook for graduate students as well as a valuable reference for researchers.
Review
'The growing importance of computational physics to physics research as a whole will depend not only on increasingly powerful computers, but also on the continuing development of algorithms and numerical techniques for putting these machines to use. Furthermore, physics departments will need to augment their curricula to provide students with the skills needed to perform research using computers ... In Computational Physics, Joseph M. Thijssen has produced a book that is well suited to meeting these needs ... This book makes it easier to approach a new topic and encourages the reader to consider a modular approach when writing programs.' Physics Today
Synopsis
This new edition has been fully updated with several new sections and chapters. It covers many different computational methodologies and will interest graduate students and researchers in theoretical, computational and experimental physics with a background in elementary programming, numerical analysis, and field theory, condensed matter theory and statistical physics.
Synopsis
Fully updated new edition for graduate students and researchers in theoretical, computational and experimental physics.
About the Author
Jos Thijssen is a lecturer at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at Delft University of Technology.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction; 2. Quantum scattering with a spherically symmetric potential; 3. The variational method for the Schrödinger equation; 4. The Hartree-Fock method; 5. Density functional theory; 6. Solving the Schrödinger equation in periodic solids; 7. Classical equilibrium statistical mechanics; 8. Molecular dynamics simulations; 9. Quantum molecular dynamics; 10. The Monte Carlo method; 11. Transfer matrix and diagonalisation of spin chains; 12. Quantum Monte Carlo methods; 13. The infinite element method for partial differential equations; 14. The lattice Boltzmann method for fluid dynamics; 15. Computational methods for lattice field theories; 16. High performance computing and parallelism; Appendix A. Numerical methods; Appendix B. Random number generators; References; Index.