Selecta Ii

The 20 papers contained in this volume span the areas of mathematical physics, dynamical systems, and probability. Yakov Sinai is one of the most important and influential mathematicians of our time, having won the Boltzmann Medal (1986), the Dirac Medal (1992), Dannie Heinemann Prize for Mathematical Physics (1989), Nemmers Prize (2002), and the Wolf Prize in Mathematics (1997). He is well-known as both a mathematician and a physicist, with numerous theorems and proofs bearing his name in both fields, and this book should be of interest to researchers from all fields of the physical sciences.This volume follows Volume I. From the reviews: "The second volume covers statistical mechanics and related topics. It contains 22 papers divided into four groups: Part I: Probability Theory; Part II: Statistical Mechanics; Part III: Mathematical Physics; Part IV: Mathematical Fluid Dynamics. The volume represents Sinai’s work on the above topics spanning almost 40 years:the earliest paper is dated 1972, and the latest 2008. The choice of papers was made by Sinai himself, and he provides commentary for each one. The reader will find a wealth of information and ideas that can still ignite inspiration and motivate students as well as senior researchers. The reader will also have a touch of Sinai’s personality, his taste, enthusiasm, and optimism, which are just as invaluable as his mathematical results." (Nikolai Chernov, Mathematical Reviews 2012e)