The language of operator algebras is of great help for the formulation of questions and answers in quantum statistical mechanics. In Chapter 1 we present a minimal mathematical introduction to operator algebras, with physical applications in mind. In Chapter 2 we study some questions related to the quantum statistical mechanics of spin systems, with particular attention to the time evolution of infinite systems. The basic reference for these two chapters is Bratteli-Robinson: Operator algebras and quantum statistical mechanics I, II. In Chapter 3 we discuss the nonequilibrium statistical mechanics of quantum spin systems, as it is currently being developped.
This systematic algebraic approach concerns problems involving a large number of degrees of freedom. It extends the traditional formalism of quantum mechanics, and it eliminates conceptual and mathematical difficulties common to the development of statistical mechanics and quantum field theory. Further, the approach is linked to research in applied and pure mathematics, offering a reflection of the interplay between formulation of physical motivations and self-contained descriptions of the mathematical methods.The four-part treatment begins with a survey of algebraic approaches to certain phys