Related papers: Entropy, Probability and Dynamics
Einstein's special theory of relativity starts with assumptions about how observations conducted in relatively moving inertial frames must compare. From these assumptions, conclusions can be drawn regarding the laws of physics in any one…
The first part of this paper is a condensed synthesis of the matter presented in several previous ones. It begins with an argumentation showing that the first and second laws of thermodynamics are incompatible with one another if they are…
I discuss the statistical mechanics of gravitating systems and in particular its cosmological implications, and argue that many conventional views on this subject in the foundations of statistical mechanics embody significant confusion; I…
In statistical mechanics, measuring the number of available states and their probabilities, and thus the system's entropy, enables the prediction of the macroscopic properties of a physical system at equilibrium. This predictive capacity…
Small systems consisting of a few particles are increasingly technologically relevant. In such systems, an intense debate in microcanonical statistical mechanics has been about the correctness of Boltzmann's surface entropy versus Gibbs'…
Thermodynamics makes definite predictions about the thermal behavior of macroscopic systems in and out of equilibrium. Statistical mechanics aims to derive this behavior from the dynamics and statistics of the atoms and molecules making up…
In 1988, Constantino Tsallis proposed an extension of the Boltzmann statistical mechanics by postulating a new entropy formula, $S_q = k_B\ln_q W$, where $W$ is the number of microstates accessible to the system, and $\ln_q$ defines a…
In a macroscopic (quantum or classical) Hamiltonian system, we prove the second law of thermodynamics in the forms of the minimum work principle and the law of entropy increase, under the assumption that the initial state is described by a…
We derive a stochastic wave equation for an inflaton in an environment of an infinite number of fields. We study solutions of the linearized stochastic evolution equation in an expanding universe. The Fokker-Planck equation for the inflaton…
This is a general description of a probabilistic formalism of mechanics, i.e., an extension of the Newtonian mechanics principles to the systems undergoing random motion. From an analysis of the induction procedure from experimental data to…
We obtain hydrodynamic descriptions of a broad class of conserved-mass transport processes on a ring. These processes are governed by chipping, diffusion and coalescence of masses, where microscopic probability weights in their…
The kinetic theory of Maxwell and Boltzmann has been the subject of major scientific controversies. The alleged incompatibility between the reversible nature of the equations of classical mechanics and the increase of entropy, which, in the…
The aim of this work is to analyze the entropy, entropy flux and entropy supply rate of granular fluids within the frameworks of the Boltzmann equation and continuum thermodynamics. It is shown that the entropy inequality for a granular gas…
In 1905, Einstein's theory of Brownian motion supported the molecular basis of the diffusion equation and introduced two complementary viewpoints: a deterministic field description and a probabilistic formulation based on stochastic…
After presenting possible motives for fighting against the second law of thermodynamics, several attempts to beat this law are analyzed. The second law wins, but an interesting interpretation of it emerges. This interpretation uses the…
It is established that black holes have entropy and behave as thermodynamical systems. Associating entropy to gravitational fields has not remained limited to black holes, necessitating the notion of the second law of thermodynamics in…
Within its range of applicability, the Boltzmann equation seems unique in its capacity to accurately describe the transition from almost any initial state to a self-equilibrated thermal state. Using information-theoretic methods to rephrase…
In 1939, von Neumann argued for the equivalence of the thermodynamic entropy and $-\text{Tr}\rho\ln\rho$, since known as the von Neumann entropy. Hemmo and Shenker (2006) recently challenged this argument by pointing out an alleged…
This letter seeks to illuminate the profound connection between complexity, self-organization, emergent behaviour, pattern formation, and entropy concepts that are foundational to understanding our universe. By examining these ideas through…
Recently, there has been a considerable progress on the issue of the thermodynamic second law, which is known as the law of entropy increase or irreversibility. In particular, a novel symmetry known as the Gallavotti-Cohen symmetry is found…