Monte Carlo Simulation

Monte Carlo Simulation in Statistical Physics deals with the computer simulation of many-body systems in condensed-matter physics and related fields of physics, chemistry and beyond, to traffic flows, stock market fluctuations, etc.). Using random numbers generated by a computer, probability distributions are calculated, allowing the estimation of the thermodynamic properties of various systems. This book describes the theoretical background to several variants of these Monte Carlo methods and gives a systematic presentation from which newcomers can learn to perform such simulations and to analyze their results.

by Frederick J. Mitchell (Editor)
Chapter One presents a study on application of Monte Carlo simulation in reliability assessment of composite electric power systems.

Monte Carlo Simulation in Statistical Physics deals with the computer simulation of many-body systems in condensed-matter physics and related fields of physics, chemistry and beyond, to traffic flows, stock market fluctuations, etc.). Using random numbers generated by a computer, probability distributions are calculated, allowing the estimation of the thermodynamic properties of various systems. This book describes the theoretical background to several variants of these Monte Carlo methods and gives a systematic presentation from which newcomers can learn to perform such simulations and to analyze their results.

In this book, the author begins with the elementary theory of Markov chains and very progressively brings the reader to the more advanced topics. He gives a useful review of probability that makes the book self-contained, and provides an appendix with detailed proofs of all the prerequisites from calculus, algebra, and number theory. A number of carefully chosen problems of varying difficulty are proposed at the close of each chapter, and the mathematics are slowly and carefully developed, in order to make self-study easier. The author treats the classic topics of Markov chain theory, both in discrete time and continuous time, as well as the connected topics such as finite Gibbs fields, nonhomogeneous Markov chains, discrete- time regenerative processes, Monte Carlo simulation, simulated annealing, and queuing theory. The result is an up-to-date textbook on stochastic processes. Students and researchers in operations research and electrical engineering, as well as in physics and biology, will find it very accessible and relevant.

Particle simulation of semiconductor devices is a rather new field which has started to catch the interest of the world's scientific community. It represents a time-continuous solution of Boltzmann's transport equation, or its quantum mechanical equivalent, and the field equation, without encountering the usual numerical problems associated with the direct solution.