In statistical mechanics, the partition function Z is an important

quantity that encodes the statistical properties of a system in

thermodynamic equilibrium. It is a function of temperature and other
parameters, such as the volume enclosing a gas. Most of the
thermodynamic variables of the system, such as the total energy, free
energy, entropy, and pressure, can be expressed in terms of the
partition function or its derivatives.

There are actually several different types of partition functions, each

corresponding to different types of statistical ensemble (or,
equivalently, different types of free energy.) The canonical partition
function applies to a canonical ensemble, in which the system is
allowed to exchange heat with the environment at fixed temperature,
volume, and number of particles. The grand canonical partition
function applies to a grand canonical ensemble, in which the system
can exchange both heat and particles with the environment, at fixed
temperature, volume, and chemical potential. Other types of partition
functions can be defined for different circumstances.

A canonical ensemble in statistical mechanics is an ensemble of

dynamically similar systems, each of which can share its energy with a
large heat reservoir, or heat bath. Equivalently, the members of the
ensemble can be considered loosely-coupled to each other so that they
can share the total energy. The distribution of the total energy amongst
the possible dynamical states (i.e. the members of the ensemble) is
given by the partition function. A generalization of this is the grand
canonical ensemble, in which the systems may share particles as well
as energy. By contrast, in the microcanonical ensemble, the energy of
each individual system is fixed.

A full development of the concept of the canonical ensemble is given in

the article on the partition function. An example of the mathematical
formulation of the canonical ensemble as a probability measure
expressed in the language of measure theory is given in the article on
the Potts model.

In statistical mechanics, the grand canonical ensemble is a

statistical ensemble, that means a set of identically prepared systems,
each of which is in equilibrium with an external bath with respect to
particle and energy exchange.

The grand canonical ensemble frequently provides the most

convenient avenue for calculations.

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Partition function
The partition function of the grand canonical ensemble with a
matrix/operator formalism is:

Here μ is the chemical potential, β the inverse temperature, sometimes

also adorned with the inverse of the Boltzmann constant. is the
Hamiltonian of the system class considered, the operator that
counts the total number of particles in one system.
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Discrete summation formalism

The partition function of the grand canonical ensemble is given by

The sum of the index i is over all the energy states of the system. The
sum over the index j is over all the number of partitions, where Nj gives
the number of particles in partition j.
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Characteristic state function

The characteristic state function for the grand canonical ensemble is
the quantity PV. This is because the ensemble satisfies the property

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