Title Details

Fluctuations, order, and defects determine a material's properties. The difference between water and ice is a matter of order. Many of today's high-tech materials in electronics and chemistry engineer order and defects to maximize desired properties. This second of a four volume set discusses phase transitions in a field theoretic context and shows how these methods can be applied to more complex systems such as liquid crystals and polymers. While building on the previous volume, this volume is self-contained and stands alone as a valuable resource. * Modern treatment includes coverage of effective hamiltonians. * Focuses on problems in condensed matter physics. * Author is well-known and respected for his work in statistical mechanics.