
…iquids. However, the theoretical prediction based upon free energy minimization is found to be 0.5. The derivation starts from an analytic expansion of the free energy in…iquids. However, the theoretical prediction based upon free energy minimization is found to be 0.5. The derivation starts from an analytic expansion of the free energy in the density around the critical point, then setting its derivative to zero to obtain the minimum (Landau theory).
This surprising discrepancy between observations and theory compelled a dramatic change in our understanding. Our usual methods of calculus and statistics fail at this point because their assumptions no longer hold true. Calculus assumes that matter is smooth and statistics assumes that averages over large numbers of o…