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{{statistical mechanics}}
[[File:Gasfas.png | thumb | 220x124px | right | alt= The thermal motions of the atoms or molecules in a gas are allowed to move freely, and the interactions between the two (the gas and the atoms/molecules) can be neglected | The thermal motions of the atoms or molecules in a gas are allowed to move freely, and the interactions between the two (the gas and the atoms/molecules) can be neglected]]
In [[physics]], a '''partition function''' describes the [[statistics|statistical]] properties of a system in [[thermodynamic equilibrium]].{{Citation needed|reason=definition of partition function requires referencing|date=December 2016}} Partition functions are [[function (mathematics)|functions]] of the thermodynamic [[state function|state variables]], such as the [[temperature]] and [[volume]]. Most of the aggregate [[thermodynamics|thermodynamic]] variables of the system, such as the [[energy|total energy]], [[Thermodynamic free energy|free energy]], [[entropy]], and [[pressure]], can be expressed in terms of the partition function or its [[derivative]]s. The partition function is dimensionless.
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