The science of ^cs

DOI10.1007/S10701-020-00371-3MaRDI QIDQ828341zbMATHOpenAlexFDO

Authors Wayne C. Myrvold

Publication date 8 January 2021

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

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2007.11729

zbMATH Keywords

entropystatistical mechanicsthermodynamicsresource theories

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Introductory exposition (textbooks, tutorial papers, etc.) pertaining to classical thermodynamics (80-01) History of statistical mechanics (82-03) Foundations of thermodynamics and heat transfer (80A05) Foundations of equilibrium statistical mechanics (82B03)

Abstract: There is a long tradition of thinking of thermodynamics, not as a theory of fundamental physics (or even a candidate theory of fundamental physics), but as a theory of how manipulations of a physical system may be used to obtain desired effects, such as mechanical work. On this view, the basic concepts of thermodynamics, heat and work, and with them, the concept of entropy, are relative to a class of envisaged manipulations. This view has been dismissed by many philosophers of physics, in my opinion too hastily. This paper is a sketch and defense of a science of manipulations and their effects on physical systems. This is, I claim, the best way to make sense of thermodynamics as it is found in textbooks and as it is practiced. I call this science thermo-dynamics (with hyphen), or $ThetaDelt{a}^{cs}$, for short, to highlight that it may be different from the science of thermodynamics, as the reader conceives it. Even if one is not convinced that it is the best way to make sense of thermodynamics as it is practiced, it should be non-controversial that $ThetaDelt{a}^{cs}$ is a legitimate science. An upshot of the discussion is a clarification of the roles of the Gibbs and von Neumann entropies. Given the definition of statistical thermo-dynamic entropy, it can be proven that, under the assumption of availability of thermodynamically reversible processes, these functions are the unique (up to an additive constant) functions that represent thermo-dynamic entropy. Light is also shed on the use of coarse-grained entropies.}

Recommendations

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1282445
• Entropy in thermodynamics: from foliation to categorization
• Possible extended forms of thermodynamic entropy
• A farewell to entropy: statistical thermodynamics based on information.
• The entropy principle. Thermodynamics for the unsatisfied

Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3181013 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1493045 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1762479 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1848370 (Why is no real title available?)
• EXORCIST XIV: the wrath of Maxwell's demon. II: From Szilard to Landauer and beyond
• Exorcist XIV: the wrath of Maxwell's demon. I: From Maxwell to Szilard
• Statistical mechanics of colloids and Boltzmann’s definition of the entropy
• The Oxford handbook of probability and philosophy
• The impossible process: Thermodynamic reversibility
• The many faces of entropy
• The origins of time-asymmetry in thermodynamics: the minus first law
• The resource theory of informational nonequilibrium in thermodynamics
• The role of quantum information in thermodynamics—a topical review

Cited in

(1)

• The interplay between \(\theta\) and \(T\)

This page was built for publication: The science of \(\Theta \Delta^{\text{cs}} \)

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q828341)