Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

Overview

Designed and updated for graduate students in the Biomedical Engineering and Physics program at Cinvestav Monterrey, this course explores one of the most challenging and rewarding disciplines in the physical sciences. The curriculum serves as a vital convergence point, integrating principles from thermodynamics, electrodynamics, classical mechanics, and quantum mechanics to understand the natural world through a statistical lens.

Learning Objective

The primary goal of this course is to provide a unified conceptual framework, transforming disparate topics into a homogeneous body of knowledge. Moving beyond traditional textbook boundaries, this course is specifically crafted to bridge the gap between fundamental physics and its practical applications in the life sciences.

Key Topics in the Curriculum

• Unified Fundamentals: A comprehensive review of core concepts using consistent notation and style to highlight the underlying coherence of thermodynamics and statistical physics (both classical and quantum).
• Thermodynamics of Chemical Reactions: A specialized module focused on the energetic transformations behind chemical processes, essential for biomedical engineering.
• Ionic Transport across Membranes: An in-depth study of the biophysical mechanisms of cellular transport, a critical topic for applying physics to biological systems.

Learning Outcome

By the end of the course, students will have reinforced their mastery of thermodynamics and statistical physics. They will possess a robust toolkit for both current research and advanced academic evaluations, gaining the unique ability to apply the rigor of fundamental physics to the evolving challenges of biomedical engineering and life sciences.

Support Material:

To assist with your studies, a comprehensive set of course notes is available (in Spanish): Notas de Termodinámica y Fisica Estadística