Introduction Statistical mechanics and Computer simulation Phase transitions Liquid-vapor transition What are colloids? Potential of mean force Phase behavior of colloidal dispersions Depletion forces Statistical mechanical formalism Non-spherical colloids Outline of the thesis Mixtures of spherical colloids and rodlike polymers Introduction Simulations Configurational Bias Monte Carlo in the Gibbs-Ensemble Fluid-fluid coexistence Solid-fluid transition Theory Perturbation theory The limit Comparison with simulation results Discussion Isostructural solid-solid transition Introduction Square well systems in two and three dimensions Solid-solid coexistence Fluid-solid coexistence Results High density limit Cell model calculations Yukawa potential Square shoulder potential Polydispersity Conclusion Freezing of polydisperse hard spheres Introduction Semigrand ensemble Gibbs-Duhem integration The initial slope Scaling Results The infinite pressure limit Conclusion The phase diagram ofhard spherocylinders Introduction Brief summary of the phase diagram Phase diagram for L/D < 5 Phase diagram for L/D>5 Simulation techniques Equilibration Free energy calculations Isotropic and nematic phases Solid phase Smectic phase Nematic-smectic free energy difference Kappa integration Kofke's Gibbs-Duhem integration Phase diagram for L/D < 5 Phase behavior for 0 < L/D < 3 Phase behavior for 3 < L/D < 5 The rotator phase Finite densities Close packing limit Phase diagram in the L/D = 5-60 region Numerical Techniques Results The AAA crystal phase The Onsager limit Scaling Results What is the order of the nematic-smectic transition? Normal periodic boundaries Shifted periodic boundaries Conclusion Mixtures of spherocylinders and polymers Introduction Perturbation theory Spherocylinders with attraction The angle dependent pair potential Simulation Results Nematic-Nematic coexistence in the Onsager limit Infinitely long-ranged attraction for long rods Overview of demixing transitions Conclusion Binary mixtures ofhard ellipsoids Introduction Simulation results Conclusion References About this document ...