Statistical Physics and Protein Folding Lectures (English Photocopy Edition)

Author: (USA) Kexun Huang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: This book is based on the lecture notes given by the author in 2004 at the Zhou Peiyuan Center for Applied Mathematics, Tsinghua University, to scholars from various disciplines on the application of statistical physics in the biological sciences. The book is divided into 16 chapters and one appendix. The first 10 chapters concisely summarize the core concepts useful in life sciences, which include entropy, the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution, free energy, chemical potential, phase transitions, phase transition dynamics, correlation functions, stochastic processes, and the Langevin equation. Starting from Chapter 11, the focus gradually shifts to life sciences. Chapter 11 discusses the connection between protein structure and life processes. Chapter 12 covers biological processes of self-assembly. Chapter 13 introduces the dynamic mechanisms of protein folding. Chapter 14 explains the exponential law of protein folding. Chapter 15 elaborates on self-avoiding walks and turbulence. Chapter 16, as the concluding chapter of the book, proposes hypotheses on the mechanisms controlling the primary, secondary, and tertiary structures of proteins. The appendix introduces a physical model of the energy cascade mechanism in protein molecules. The book presents concise and insightful directions for possible research, offering guidance for multidisciplinary readers engaged in life science research.