Preface to the first edition

Summary

During the 1980s there have been many new developments regarding the nonequilibrium statistical mechanics of dense classical systems. These developments have had a major impact on the computer simulation methods used to model nonequilibrium fluids. Some of these new algorithms are discussed in the recent book by Allen and Tildesley (1987), Computer Simulation of Liquids. However, that book was never intended to provide a detailed statistical mechanical backdrop to the new computer algorithms. As the authors commented in their preface, their main purpose was to provide a working knowledge of computer simulation techniques. The present volume is, in part, an attempt to provide a pedagogical discussion of the statistical mechanical environment of these algorithms.

There is a symbiotic relationship between nonequilibrium statistical mechanics on the one hand and the theory and practice of computer simulation on the other. Sometimes, the initiative for progress has been with the pragmatic requirements of computer simulation and at other times, the initiative has been with the fundamental theory of nonequilibrium processes. Although progress has been rapid, the number of participants who have been involved in the exposition and development, rather than with application, has been relatively small.

The formal theory is often illustrated with examples involving shear flow in liquids.