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Related papers: The different paths to entropy

200 papers

This short book is an elementary course on entropy, leading up to a calculation of the entropy of hydrogen gas at standard temperature and pressure. Topics covered include information, Shannon entropy and Gibbs entropy, the principle of…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2025-11-18 John C. Baez

The Gibbs entropy of a macroscopic classical system is a function of a probability distribution over phase space, i.e., of an ensemble. In contrast, the Boltzmann entropy is a function on phase space, and is thus defined for an individual…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2020-07-01 Sheldon Goldstein , Joel L. Lebowitz , Roderich Tumulka , Nino Zanghi

Typically, the entropy of an isolated system in equilibrium is calculated by counting the number of accessible microstates, or in more general cases by using the Gibbs formula. In irreversible processes entropy spontaneously increases and…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2020-04-16 Taha A Malik , Rafael Lopez-Mobilia

Different notions of entropy play a fundamental role in the classical theory of dynamical systems. Unlike many other concepts used to analyze autonomous dynamics, both measure-theoretic and topological entropy can be extended quite…

Dynamical Systems · Mathematics 2017-08-03 Christoph Kawan

A first principles analysis of an open system thermodynamical Carnot cycle is provided, and the results are compared to those proposed by Gibbs for open systems. The Kelvin-Clausius statement concerning heat transfer for reversible cycles…

General Mathematics · Mathematics 2007-05-23 Christopher G. Jesudason

Here we deconstruct, and then in a reasoned way reconstruct, the concept of "entropy of a system," paying particular attention to where the randomness may be coming from. We start with the core concept of entropy as a COUNT associated with…

General Physics · Physics 2017-05-10 Tommaso Toffoli

In this paper, we review the concept of entropy in connection with the description of quantum unstable systems. We revise the conventional definition of entropy due to Boltzmann and extend it so as to include the presence of complex-energy…

Quantum Physics · Physics 2018-05-09 Osvaldo Civitarese , Manuel Gadella

Entropy can signify different things: For instance, heat transfer in thermodynamics or a measure of information in data analysis. Many entropies have been introduced and it can be difficult to ascertain their different importance and…

Mathematical Physics · Physics 2025-07-10 Henrik Jeldtoft Jensen , Piergiulio Tempesta

The expression for entropy sometimes appears mysterious - as it often is asserted without justification. This short manuscript contains a discussion of the underlying assumptions behind entropy as well as simple derivation of this…

Information Theory · Computer Science 2014-04-09 Jonathon Shlens

The aim of the present paper is to present a careful and accessible discussion of the formal aspects of Boltzmann-Gibbs and Tsallis entropies. We begin with a brief overview of Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy, highlighting its main properties and…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2025-10-23 Kelvin dos Santos Alves , Rogerio Teixeira Cavalcanti

Alternative definitions are given of basic concepts of generalized thermostatistics. In particular, generalizations of Shannon's entropy, of the Boltzmann-Gibbs distribution, and of relative entropy are considered. Particular choices made…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2007-05-23 Jan Naudts

In his ninth memoir Clausius summarizes the two principles of thermodynamics as follows: "The whole mechanical theory of heat rests on two fundamental theorems: that of equivalence of heat and work, and that of equivalence of…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2023-06-08 Giovanni Jona-Lasinio

Many complex systems are characterized by non-Boltzmann distribution functions of their statistical variables. If one wants to -- justified or not -- hold on to the maximum entropy principle for complex statistical systems (non-Boltzmann)…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2009-11-13 Stefan Thurner , Rudolf Hanel

This contribution is dedicated to dilucidating the role of the Gibbs entropy in the discussion of the emergence of irreversibility in the macroscopic world from the microscopic level. By using an extension of the Onsager theory to the phase…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2009-11-10 A. Perez-Madrid

The microscopic explanation of entropy has been challenged from both experimental and theoretical point of view. The expression of entropy is derived from the first law of thermodynamics indicating that entropy or the second law of…

General Physics · Physics 2007-05-23 Jozsef Garai

General relationship between mean Boltzmann entropy and Gibbs entropy is established. It is found that their difference is equal to fluctuation entropy, which is a Gibbs-like entropy of macroscopic quantities. The ratio of the fluctuation…

Statistical Mechanics · Physics 2018-04-19 Pasko Zupanovic , Domagoj Kuic

The entropy of classical thermodynamics is uniquely determined by the relation of adiabatical accessibilty between equilibrium states of thermodynamical systems. This review outlines the logical path leading to this results and the…

Mathematical Physics · Physics 2022-02-17 Jakob Yngvason

The classical thermostatics of equilibrium processes is shown to possess a quantum-mechanical dual theory with a finite-dimensional Hilbert space of quantum states. Specifically, the kernel of a certain Hamiltonian operator becomes the…

Mathematical Physics · Physics 2017-04-05 D. Cabrera , P. Fernandez de Cordoba , J. M. Isidro , J. Vazquez Molina

The available enthalpy is an early form of the modern thermodynamic concept of exergy, which is the generic name for the amount of work obtainable when some matter is brought to a state of equilibrium with its surroundings by means of…

Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics · Physics 2014-02-21 Pascal Marquet

We propose an extension of the concept of algebraic entropy, as introduced by Bellon and Viallet for rational maps, to algebraic maps (or correspondences) of a certain kind. The corresponding entropy is an index of the complexity of the…

Chaotic Dynamics · Physics 2016-01-20 A. N. W. Hone , O. Ragnisco , F. Zullo