On the origin of the notion `Ergodic theory' (Q1111531)

The paper comments the meaning of the term ``ergodic'' in the name of the above mentioned theory, from a historical point of view. In the Kinetic gas theory L. Boltzmann (1884) considered systems described by equations involving only the energy, which were ``work-like'' and indicated them by the term ``Ergode''. From that, T. Ehrenfest (1911) created the notion ``Ergodic theory'' \((ergon=energy\), \(doc=path)\). But in fact, the real understanding of this name comes from the Boltzmann consideration which is close to the Greek adjective \(``ergodes''=laborious\), work-full. The author claims that this explanation is much more plausible than the etymological one given by \textit{A. Lo Bello} [Boll. Stor. Sci. Mat. 3, 37- 75 (1983; Zbl 0531.01001)].