Statistical Mechanics of Phases and Phase Transitions

When many constituents interact, such as molecules in a material or cells in the body, they organize themselves into phases (such as solids, liquids, etc.). What exactly is a phase, and how do we describe it? We also know that we can change phases (such as by melting ice, we change from solid to liquid phase). What brings about these phase changes? How do we describe the phase transitions? This course explores statistical mechanics concepts that help address these questions, building from basic principles and culminating in modern applications such as quantum memories and even statistical mechanics approaches to machine learning. The course should be accessible to a wide audience with basic knowledge of classical/quantum mechanics and elementary statistical mechanics.