Planck's Legacy to Statistical Mechanics
arXiv:cond-mat/0101293
Abstract
In this talk I will describe the deep influence Planck had on the development of statistical mechanics. At this end I will first outline the theoretical situation of statistical mechanics before Planck. I will then describe his main contributions to this field and the progresses obtained as an immediate consequence of his work. I will also outline the later evolution of statistical mechanics in relation with Planck's work. I will finally report on a still unsolved problem in statistical mechanics, historically related to the properties of black-body radiation.
11 pages, historical talk given at the Accademia dei Lincei at the conference on Max Planck