Hard Ball Systems and the Lorentz Gas are fundamental models arising in the theory of Hamiltonian dynamical systems. Moreover, in these models, some key laws of statistical physics can also be tested or even established by mathematically rigorous tools. The mathematical methods are most beautiful but sometimes quite involved. This collection of surveys written by leading researchers of the fields - mathematicians, physicists or mathematical physicists - treat both mathematically rigourous results, and evolving physical theories where the methods are analytic or computational. Some basic topics: hyperbolicity and ergodicity, correlation decay, Lyapunov exponents, Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy, entropy production, irreversibility. This collection is a unique introduction into the subject for graduate students, postdocs or researchers - in both mathematics and physics - who want to start working in the field.
Reviews
"... The reviews have been written for a non-specialist mature audience and are quite accessible, even in the first part. The bibliography is very generous. Overall, the book constitutes an excellent introduction into this active, sometimes controversial, field. Anybody interested in the recent advances of dynamical systems theory applied to non-equilibrium statistical mechanics will find this book of use. ..."
Daniel Wójcik, Pure and Applied Geophysics 160, p. 1376-1378, 2003
Authors, Editors and Affiliations
Institute of Mathematics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
D. Szász,
D. Szász
Southeast Applied Analysis Center, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, USA
L. A. Bunimovich
Department of Mathematics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park,, USA
D. Burago
Department of Mathematics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
N. Chernov
Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, USA
E. G. D. Cohen
Department of Mathematics, University Walk, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
C. P. Dettmann
Institute for Physical Science and Technology, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
J. R. Dorfman
Department of Mathematics, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, USA
S. Ferleger
Institute for Experimental Physics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
R. Hirschl,
H. A. Posch
Renaissance Tech. Corp, 600 Rt. 25-A E, Setanket, USA
A. Kononenko
Center for Mathematical Sciences Research, Piscataway, USA
J. L. Lebowitz
Dipartimento di Matematica, Università di Roma II (Tor Vergata), Via della Ricerca Scientifica, Roma, Italy
C. Liverani
Department of Chemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, USA
T. J. Murphy
Institute of Theoretical Physics, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland
J. Piasecki
Department of Mathematics, Campbell Hall, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, USA
N. Simányi
Dept. of Mathematics, 708 Fine Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
Ya. Sinai
Institute for Theoretical Physics, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary
T. Tél
Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Utrecht, Princetonplein 5, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany
J. Vollmer
Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York, USA
L. S. Young
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Hard Ball Systems and the Lorentz Gas
Authors: L. A. Bunimovich, D. Burago, N. Chernov, E. G. D. Cohen, C. P. Dettmann, J. R. Dorfman, S. Ferleger, R. Hirschl, A. Kononenko, J. L. Lebowitz, C. Liverani, T. J. Murphy, J. Piasecki, H. A. Posch, N. Simányi, Ya. Sinai, D. Szász, T. Tél, H. Beijeren, R. Zon, J. Vollmer, … L. S. Young
