We describe a mean field interacting particle system in any number of
dimensions and in a generic external potential as an ideal gas with fractional
exclusion statistics (FES). We define the FES quasiparticle energies, we
calculate the FES parameters of the system and we deduce the equations for the
equilibrium particle populations. The FES gas is "ideal", in the sense that the
quasiparticle energies do not depend on the other quasiparticle levels
populations and the sum of the quasiparticle energies is equal to the total
energy of the system. We prove that the FES formalism is equivalent to the
semi-classical or Thomas Fermi limit of the self-consistent mean-field theory
and the FES quasiparticle populations may be calculated from the Landau
quasiparticle populations by making the correspondence between the FES and the
Landau quasiparticle energies. The FES provides a natural semi-classical ideal
gas description of the interacting particle gas.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, PRE forma