Fundamental concepts of phase transitions, such as order parameters, spontaneous symmetry breaking, scaling transformations, conformal symmetry and anomalous dimensions, have deeply changed the modern vision of many areas of physics, leading to remarkable developments in statistical mechanics, elementary particle theory, condensed matter physics and string theory. This self-contained book provides a thorough introduction to the fascinating world of phase transitions and frontier topics of exactly solved models in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory, such as renormalization groups, conformal models, quantum integrable systems, duality, elastic S-matrices, thermodynamic Bethe ansatz and form factor theory. The clear discussion of physical principles is accompanied by a detailed analysis of several branches of mathematics distinguished for their elegance and beauty, including infinite dimensional algebras, conformal mappings, integral equations and modular functions. Besides advanced research themes, the book also covers many basic topics in statistical mechanics, quantum field theory and theoretical physics. Each argument is discussed in great detail while providing overall coherent understanding of physical phenomena. Mathematical background is made available in supplements at the end of each chapter, when appropriate. The chapters include problems of different levels of difficulty. Advanced undergraduate and graduate students will find this book a rich and challenging source for improving their skills and for attaining a comprehensive understanding of the many facets of the subject.

About the Author
Giuseppe Mussardo is Full Professor of Theoretical Physics at SISSA (Trieste). He is the founder of the Statistical Physics Group at SISSA, and the chair of several international grants on quantum and statistical systems. He serves as the Scientific Director of the Journal of Statistical Mechanics and Applications (JSTAT). He is a member of the International Institute of Physics in Natal and former Director of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Natural Sciences in SISSA. In 2017, he was the Kramers Chair at the Institute for Theoretical Physics in Utrecht. He was awarded the Prize of the Societa' Italiana di Fisica for Science Dissemination in 2013.

Reviews
Review from previous edition The book is well suited to provide access into this fascinating field of research and at the same time leads its readers all the way to the forefront of present research. It will provide a solid basis as a textbook for an advanced course in statistical physics, giving the lecturer an ample choice of topics supplemented by problem sets and references to the original literature. * Holger Frahm, Leibniz University, Hannover *
I am very impressed with the contents of this book, it is certainly needed. The author is a good writer and can explain things well. From the scientific point of view the quality is outstanding. * Alexei Tsvelik, Brookhaven National Laboratory *
There has been dramatic progress over the last two decades in our understanding of off-critical systems in two dimensions. At present there is no book that explains these developments, which here are tied into the larger framework of statistical mechanics in two dimensions, an area that continues to attract tremendous attention. * Fabian Essler, Oxford University *
The author is an excellent physicist who has contributed very significantly to the field, and has always shown a passion for pedagogy. He is one of a handful of people who look beyond formal theory and think in terms of physics, always trying to push the boundaries of our knowledge. I am sure this book will become a most useful and successful text for graduate students and researchers. * Hubert Saleur, University of Southern California *



Book Information
ISBN 9780198788102
Author Giuseppe Mussardo
Format Hardback
Page Count 1018
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 2g
Dimensions(mm) 252mm * 178mm * 55mm