A new approach to quantum field theory at finite temperature and density in
arbitrary space-time dimension D is developed. We focus mainly on relativistic
theories, but the approach applies to non-relativistic ones as well.
In this quasi-particle re-summation, the free energy takes the free-field
form but with the one-particle energy ω(k) replaced by \vep
(\vec{k}), the latter satisfying a temperature-dependent integral equation
with kernel related to a zero temperature form-factor of the trace of
stress-energy tensor. For 2D integrable theories the approach reduces to the
thermodynamic Bethe ansatz. For relativistic theories, a thermal c-function
Cqs(T) is defined for any D based on the coefficient of the black
body radiation formula. Thermodynamical constraints on it's flow are presented,
showing that it can violate a ``c-theorem'' even in 2D. At a fixed point
Cqs is a function of thermal gap parameters which generalizes Roger's
dilogarithm to higher dimensions. This points to a strategy for classifying
rational theories based on ``polylogarithmic ladders'' in mathematics, and many
examples are worked out. An argument suggests that the 3D Ising model has
Cqs=7/8. (In 3D a free fermion has Cqs=3/4.) Other
applications are discussed, including the free energy of anyons in 2D and 3D,
phase transitions with a chemical potential, and the equation of state for
cosmological dark energy.Comment: Version 4: Published versio