Publisher's Synopsis
This introduction to solid state physics covers the basic problems of condensed matter (amorphous or glassy solids and liquid crystals). Ion lattice symmetry and its direct consequences are treated in the first chapter. Following the adiabatic approximation, the treatment is divided into two parts: the system of ions and the system of electrons. Interactions of the two systems are considered and the various properties of the solid, beginning with some general considerations on structure and phase transitions are also dealt with.
