Does a computer have an arrow of time?

DOI10.1007/S10701-009-9386-6MaRDI QIDQ2268407zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Owen J. E. Maroney

Publication date 8 March 2010

Published in Foundations of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/0709.3131

zbMATH Keywords

causalityarrow of timeLandauer's principlecomputers

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) Quantum information, communication, networks (quantum-theoretic aspects) (81P45)

Abstract: In [Sch05a], it is argued that Boltzmann's intuition, that the psychological arrow of time is necessarily aligned with the thermodynamic arrow, is correct. Schulman gives an explicit physical mechanism for this connection, based on the brain being representable as a computer, together with certain thermodynamic properties of computational processes. [Haw94] presents similar, if briefer, arguments. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the support for the link between thermodynamics and an arrow of time for computers. The principal arguments put forward by Schulman and Hawking will be shown to fail. It will be shown that any computational process that can take place in an entropy increasing universe, can equally take place in an entropy decreasing universe. This conclusion does not automatically imply a psychological arrow can run counter to the thermodynamic arrow. Some alternative possible explana- tions for the alignment of the two arrows will be briefly discussed.

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Cited in

(5)

• Computation, information, and the arrow of time
• A computer's arrow of time
• The arrow of time through the lens of computing
• A computer's arrow of time
• The arrow of time and information theory

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