Publisher's Synopsis
Part One of the selected works of N.N. Bogolubov features his papers on dynamical theory. These introduce the key concept of the hierarchy of relaxation times in statistical physics. A method of obtaining a system of coupled equations for the probability densities for groups of one or more particles is proposed. This has proved to be the most effective method in statistical mechanics for equilibrium and non-equilibrium to date. In his papers, Bogolubov clarifies how stochastic behaviour, which is specific for a macroscopic description, arises in a purely mechanistic approach, in which microscopic equations of dynamical theory are used.;Part Two of the selected works of N.N. Bogolubov features his papers on statistical mechanics. These elucidate Bogolubov's microscopic theory of superfluidity and reflect his contribution to the explanation of superconductivity. This book also shows the inception of the concept of quasi-averages, containing the idea of spontaneous symmetry breaking, which was to have a significant influence in elementary particle physics and quantum field theory. This volume offers insight into the fundamental concepts that underpin aspects of modern physics, from the theory of electromagnetic and weak interactions to phase transitions. It is directed at undergraduates exploring statistical mechanics and at graduates and researchers developing Bogolubov's fundamental results.
