American Journal of Physics

The fraction of “all different” combinations: Justifying the semiclassical partition function

Ralph F. Baierlein

Published Apr 1, 1997• 3 citations

Abstract

Modern statistical mechanics directly acknowledges the indistinguishability of identical particles, a characteristically quantum property. Under laboratory conditions such that classical physics ought to suffice for most purposes, the indistinguishability is often incorporated by a judicious division by N!. This paper explores a common justification for that procedure—and finds it wanting. Nonetheless, the procedure is valid, but for a different reason.

DOI: 10.1119/1.18540

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