Evidence that a model of hard spheres exhibits a first-order solid-fluid phase transition was provided in the late fifties by two new numerical techniques known as Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics. This result can be considered as the starting point of computational statistical mechanics: at the time, it was a confirmation of a counter-intuitive (and controversial) theoretical prediction by J. Kirkwood. It necessitated an intensive collaboration between the Los Alamos team, with Bill Wood developing the Monte Carlo approach, and the Livermore group, where Berni Alder was inventing Molecular Dynamics. This article tells how it happened.

中文翻译：

---

计算统计力学的早期

五十年代后期，通过两种称为蒙特卡洛（Monte Carlo）和分子动力学（Molecular Dynamics）的新数值技术，提供了硬球模型表现出一阶固-液相变的证据。这个结果可以被认为是计算统计力学的起点：当时，这是J. Kirkwood对反直觉（且有争议）的理论预测的证实。它需要Los Alamos团队（由Bill Wood开发蒙特卡洛方法）与Livermore组（由Berni Alder发明分子动力学的团队）之间进行深入合作。本文讲述了它是如何发生的。