Physics
The physics area contains worked problems and conceptual material organized by topic. Mathematics is used to formulate models, derive results, and state the assumptions on which each treatment depends.
Most of the current material concerns mechanics and thermodynamics, with additional pages on the Lorenz system and blackbody radiation. The format varies according to the subject: some sections are built around fully worked exercises, while others examine a mathematical model or a historical problem in greater detail.
Mechanics
The mechanics section presents Cesare Peli’s thesis on Galileo’s treatment of parabolic motion. A short resource on vertical motion and quadratic functions is available in the algebra section.
Thermodynamics
This section contains worked problems by Prof. Marco Ruzzi on ideal gases, entropy, adiabatic processes, equilibrium, Gibbs free energy, phase transitions, colligative properties, and reaction energetics. The distinction between reversible and irreversible adiabatic transformations is developed in Is Entropy Constant in an Adiabatic Process?.
The section also includes Maxwell’s Demon, an article by Cesare Peli on the statistical meaning of the Second Law and the relation between entropy and information.
Dynamical Systems & Chaos
This section is currently centered on the Lorenz system and the Lorenz attractor. It examines how a relatively simple system of nonlinear differential equations can produce complex behavior and sensitivity to initial conditions. Lorenz Attractor: Equations, Shape and Topological Structure develops the model from its differential equations to its return map and symbolic dynamics.
Quantum Physics
The quantum physics section begins with blackbody radiation and Planck’s quantum hypothesis. The material follows the problem that placed classical models of thermal radiation in difficulty and explains how quantization entered its mathematical description.
Approach
Formulas are introduced as parts of specific physical models. Attention is given to the quantities involved, the assumptions behind the model, and the steps required to solve a problem or follow a derivation.
The balance between exercises, mathematical development, and conceptual or historical discussion depends on the topic and on the material available in each section.