Quantum statistical mechanics

Readers seeking an up-to-date account of why quantum systems move toward disorder will find it here. The text traces how entropy is generated in quantum kinetic theory and within the master equation approach to non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. Its opening part lays the groundwork for non-equilibrium thinking, with particular attention to quantum mechanics. The later chapters turn to competing perspectives on quantum statistical mechanics and to subjects still under active investigation, pitched at advanced graduate students and researchers. A distinguishing feature is its treatment of Gleason's theorem, which few textbooks on the subject include. The book also examines quantum entanglement as it bears on quantum computing, along with the obstacles posed by decoherence. It derives a relativistic version of the Boltzmann equation and applies modern transport methods to reservoir ballistic transport.