  Non-compact three-dimensional QED is studied by computer simulations to
understand its chiral symmetry breaking features for different values of the
number of fermion flavors N_f. We consider the four-component formulation for
the fermion fields, which arises naturally as the continuum limit of the
staggered fermion construction in (2+1) dimensions. We present preliminary
results for the equation of state of the theory in an effort to understand the
properties of the chiral phase transition of the theory at a critical number of
fermion flavors N_{fc}. Our preliminary results indicate that N_{fc}~1.5.
