Landau

Landau theory is a way physicists understand how materials change from one phase to another, like from a liquid to a solid. It describes these changes using an "order parameter," which measures how organized the system is. When a material transitions, this parameter smoothly shifts from zero to a non-zero value, indicating the new phase. Landau's approach involves writing an energy function that depends on this order parameter, helping predict how the system behaves near the transition point. It's a powerful framework for studying continuous phase changes in various physical systems.