The <microcanonical ensemble> describes an isolated system with fixed energy, volume, and particle number. It assigns equal probabilities to the accessible microstates in the chosen narrow energy shell. The <canonical ensemble> describes a system in thermal contact with a large heat reservoir: its temperature, volume, and particle number are fixed, while its energy can fluctuate.

Solution

Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2022 / ii / Paper 2 / 37A / a / Solution

 Solution (source code)