Statistical Thermodynamics and the Boltzmann Distribution
2. Statistical Thermodynamics and the Boltzmann Distribution#
This set of exercises brings together the theory of statistical mechanics with a practical example, the harmonic oscillator. After a brief (re)introduction to statistical mechanics, you will write a code that computes the probability distribution of the energy of a system using Boltzmann statistics.
🎯 Learning goals
Follow a (re)introduction to statistical mechanics
Learn differeces between canonical and microcanonical ensembles
Understand how to calculate the Boltzmann distribution for a harmonic oscillator
📖 Chapter in script
Chapter 2 - Statistical Mechanics in a Nutshell
📚 Resources
Understanding Molecular Simulation, Frenkel & Smit, p.9-17