Overview the general motivation to use the monte carlo method in statistical physics is to evaluate a multivariable integral the typical problem begins with a system for which the hamiltonian is known it is at a given temperature and it follows the boltzmann statisticsto obtain the mean value of some macroscopic variable say a the general approach is to compute over all the phase space . In the seven years since this volume first appeared there has been an enormous expansion of the range of problems to which monte carlo computer simulation methods have been applied this fact has already led to the addition of a companion volume applications of the monte carlo method in statistical physics topics in current physics. Monte carlo methods in statistical physics is published by oxford university press it can be purchased directly from the press from good scientific bookstores or online from amongst other places amazoncom or barnes and noblethe press from good scientific bookstores or online from amongst other places amazoncom or barnes and noble. Physics in particular it is about monte carlo methods which form the largest and most important class of numerical methods used for solving statistical physics problems in this opening chapter of the book we look first at what we mean by statistical physics giving a brief overview of the discipline we call statistical mechanics