Includes bibliographical references (pages 589-617) and index.

Statistical mechanics -- Monte Carlo simulations -- Molecular dynamics simulations -- Monte Carlo simulations in various ensembles -- Molecular dynamics in various ensembles -- Free energy calculations -- The Gibbs ensemble -- Other methods to study coexistence -- Free energies of solids -- Free energy of chain molecules -- Long-range interactions -- Biased Monte Carlo schemes -- Accelerating Monte Carlo sampling -- Tackling time-scale problems -- Rare events -- Dissipative particle dynamics.

Understanding Molecular Simulation: From Algorithms to Applications explains the physics behind the "recipes" of molecular simulation for materials science. Computer simulators are continuously confronted with questions concerning the choice of a particular technique for a given application. A wide variety of tools exist, so the choice of technique requires a good understanding of the basic principles. More importantly, such understanding may greatly improve the efficiency of a simulation program. The implementation of simulation methods is illustrated in pseudocodes and their practical use in.