Insegnamento a.a. 2025-2026

Part A: Statistical Physics

1-    Why statistical physics? From microscopics to macroscopics

2-    Statistical descriptions. "More is different"

3-    Thermodynamics seen from the statistical physics viewpoint

4-    Ideal gas

5-    Interacting systems, phase transitions, ferromagnetism

6-    Dynamics and equilibrium

7-    Statistical physics and Data Science

8-    Statistical physics and Machine Learning

Part B: Quantum Physics

1-    Why quantum mechanics? Introduction to quantum phenomena

2-    Schrödinger equation

3-    Quantum measurements, uncertainty principle

4-    Energy quantization

5-    Principle of quantum mechanics

6-    Two state systems

7-    Entanglement, Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox, Bell’s inequalities

8-    Introduction to quantum devices

- understand the description of quantum systems

- understand  quantum spins

- understand the quantum theory of atomic structure

- understand the concepts of entanglement and quantum measurement

- understand the principles of statistical physics and their relations to thermodynamics

- understand the theory of ideal gases

- understand the notion of phase transition

- undestand the dynamics of statistical physics systems and the approach to equilibrium

- understand the principles of application of statistical physics in data science and machine learning

- Study quantum properties of particles in external potentials

- Use perturbative methods

- Study quantum properties of spin 1/2 particles

- Study properties of ideal gases, classical, fermions and bosons

- Study phase transitions using mean-field theory

- Understand the dynamical properties of simple many-body systems

- Use the simplest mean-field methods in data analysis and inverse problems

• Lectures
• Practical Exercises

Exercises are an important part of the course. Regularly, a part of the lectures time will be dedicated to exercises in  the class, illustrating and complementing the lectures.

The total grade has a maximum of 32 points. 

The grade of 30 cum laude corresponds to 31 or 32 points

In order to pass the exam, the students must obtain a grade of 18 points at least.

The exam is not open-book. Any material apart from the one provided by the instructors is forbidden. A sheet containing basic formulas and fundamental constants will be provided.

-       Quantum mechanics, J-L Basdevant and J. Dalibard, Springer

-       Fundamentals of Statistical and Thermal Physics, Frederick Reif, Mac Graw Hill  (optional)

-      “From statistical physics to data-driven modelling”, Simona Cocco, Rémi Monasson and Francesco Zamponi, Oxford University Press 2023 (optional)

Exercises will be provided, as well as lecture notes on statistical physics, and additional teaching material when needed