Symmetric polynomials in physics

Abstract

We give two examples where symmetric polynomials play an important role in physics: First, the partition functions of ideal quantum gases are closely related to certain symmetric polynomials, and a part of the corresponding theory has a thermodynamical interpretation. Further, the same symmetric polynomials also occur in Berezin's theory of quantization of phase spaces with constant curvature.

Plenary talk at the G24 conference in Paris 2002