English

When is a quantity additive, and when is it extensive?

Statistical Mechanics 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

The difference between the terms additivity and extensivity, as well as their respective negations, is critically analyzed and illustrated with a few examples. The concepts of subadditivity, pseudo-additivity, and pseudo-extensivity are also defined.

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0201134,
  title  = {When is a quantity additive, and when is it extensive?},
  author = {Hugo Touchette},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0201134},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

Contribution to the Proceedings of the International School and Conference on Non-Extensive Thermodynamics and Physical Applications, Villasimius, Sardegna, Italy, May 2001. To be published in Physica A