Suggested preparation: Statistical mechanics, calculus and mathematical physics.
About this course
Study collective behavior and phase transitions using field-based statistical mechanics. Advanced lectures develop scaling, renormalization and expansion methods for interacting physical systems.
Topics and lesson examples
- 1. Collective Behavior, from Particles to Fields Part 1
- 7. The Scaling Hypothesis Part 2
- 13. Position Space Renormalization Group, Part 1
- 19. Series Expansions Part 5
- 26. Continuous Spins at Low Temperatures Part 6
Course at a glance
| Provider | MIT |
|---|---|
| Platform | YouTube · MIT OpenCourseWare |
| Access | Free Video |
| Level | Professional — WikiFree study-level assessment |
| Language | English |
| Available lessons | 26 |
| Video duration | 35h 18m · self-paced |
| Details checked | 10 October 2026 |
Preparation and study approach
Suggested preparation: Statistical mechanics, calculus and mathematical physics.
Follow the available videos in sequence, pausing to summarize the main argument or reconstruct a worked example. Keep a short list of assumptions, unfamiliar terms and questions to revisit. Additional reading, problem solving and practice will take time beyond the listed video duration.
Using this video classroom
Select a lesson from the list, or search for a topic. Previous and Next move through the sequence. You can mark lessons complete; progress is stored in this browser without a WikiFree account.
Free access and course scope
The public MIT OpenCourseWare videos in this classroom are free to watch. This listing provides the available playlist recordings, which may include selected lectures, recitations, demonstrations or supporting discussions rather than every component of the original campus course. Textbooks, equipment, software licenses, supervised labs, graded assignments and instructor feedback are not supplied by WikiFree. No purchase is required to watch the videos or use the note-based study approach above.
WikiFree independently organizes these resources for self-paced study. Watching does not award an MIT certificate, academic credit or admission to MIT.
Video provider and credit: MIT OpenCourseWare on YouTube. WikiFree titles, descriptions and cover artwork are independently prepared.
Related courses for your next step
- Compare another approachFree MIT Course: Statistical Mechanics I: Particles and Thermodynamics
Focus: 1. Thermodynamics Part 1 · 7. Kinetic Theory of Gases Part 1
Professional - Compare another approachFree MIT Course: Quantum Physics III: Advanced Quantum Mechanics
Focus: L1.1 General problem. Non-degenerate perturbation theory · L6.4 Strong-field Zeeman
Professional - Compare another approachFree MIT Course: Effective Field Theory
Focus: 1. Introduction to Effective Field Theory (EFT) · 7. Chiral Loops
Professional
Compare course focus, level and study time
| Course | Level | Focus | Study time |
|---|---|---|---|
| This course — Free MIT Course: Statistical Mechanics II: Fields and Phase Transitions | Professional | 1. Collective Behavior, from Particles to Fields Part 1 · 7. The Scaling Hypothesis Part 2 · 13. Position Space Renormalization Group, Part 1 | 35h 18m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Statistical Mechanics I: Particles and Thermodynamics | Professional | 1. Thermodynamics Part 1 · 7. Kinetic Theory of Gases Part 1 · 13. Classical Statistical Mechanics Part 2 | 35h 54m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Quantum Physics III: Advanced Quantum Mechanics | Professional | L1.1 General problem. Non-degenerate perturbation theory · L6.4 Strong-field Zeeman · L12.4 Einstein's argument: B and A coefficients | 29h 49m of video; practice time is additional |
| Free MIT Course: Effective Field Theory | Professional | 1. Introduction to Effective Field Theory (EFT) · 7. Chiral Loops · 13. EFT with Fine Tuning | 35h 50m of video; practice time is additional |
Provider: MIT. Videos play from the MIT OpenCourseWare channel on YouTube.
Report a correction
Questions & discussion
Share a useful question or correction. Comments appear after moderation. Please avoid personal or sensitive information.