Meir Hemmo

Road to Maxwell's Demon (eBook, ePUB)

Conceptual Foundations of Statistical Mechanics

• Format: ePub

Produktbeschreibung

Time asymmetric phenomena are successfully predicted by statistical mechanics. Yet the foundations of this theory are surprisingly shaky. Its explanation for the ease of mixing milk with coffee is incomplete, and even implies that un-mixing them should be just as easy. In this book the authors develop a new conceptual foundation for statistical mechanics that addresses this difficulty. Explaining the notions of macrostates, probability, measurement, memory, and the arrow of time in statistical mechanics, they reach the startling conclusion that Maxwell's Demon, the famous perpetuum mobile, is consistent with the fundamental physical laws. Mathematical treatments are avoided where possible, and instead the authors use novel diagrams to illustrate the text. This is a fascinating book for graduate students and researchers interested in the foundations and philosophy of physics.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Cambridge University Press
• Erscheinungstermin: 20. September 2012
• Englisch
• ISBN-13: 9781139579490
• Artikelnr.: 52992112

Autorenporträt

Meir Hemmo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy, University of Haifa. He has written on various issues in the foundations of quantum mechanics and statistical mechanics.

Inhaltsangabe

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Thermodynamics
3. Classical mechanics
4. Time
5. Macrostates
6. Probability
7. Entropy
8. Typicality
9. Measurement
10. The past
11. Gibbs
12. Erasure
13. Maxwell's Demon
Appendixes
References
Index.