The philosophy of thermal and statistical physics is that part of the
philosophy of physics
In philosophy, philosophy of physics deals with conceptual and interpretational issues in modern physics, many of which overlap with research done by certain kinds of theoretical physicists. Philosophy of physics can be broadly divided into thr ...
whose subject matter is an amalgam of classical
thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws ...
,
statistical mechanics
In physics, statistical mechanics is a mathematical framework that applies statistical methods and probability theory to large assemblies of microscopic entities. It does not assume or postulate any natural laws, but explains the macroscopic b ...
, and related theories. Its central questions include: What is
entropy
Entropy is a scientific concept, as well as a measurable physical property, that is most commonly associated with a state of disorder, randomness, or uncertainty. The term and the concept are used in diverse fields, from classical thermodyna ...
, and what does the second law of thermodynamics say about it? Does either thermodynamics or statistical mechanics contain an element of
time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
-irreversibility? If so, what does statistical mechanics tell us about the
arrow of time
The arrow of time, also called time's arrow, is the concept positing the "one-way direction" or "asymmetry" of time. It was developed in 1927 by the British astrophysicist Arthur Eddington, and is an unsolved general physics question. This ...
? What is the
nature of the probabilities that appear in statistical mechanics?
See also
*
Laws of thermodynamics
The laws of thermodynamics are a set of scientific laws which define a group of physical quantities, such as temperature, energy, and entropy, that characterize thermodynamic systems in thermodynamic equilibrium. The laws also use various paramet ...
*
Maxwell's demon
Maxwell's demon is a thought experiment that would hypothetically violate the second law of thermodynamics. It was proposed by the physicist James Clerk Maxwell in 1867. In his first letter Maxwell called the demon a "finite being", while the ' ...
*
H-theorem
*
Maximum entropy thermodynamics
In physics, maximum entropy thermodynamics (colloquially, ''MaxEnt'' thermodynamics) views equilibrium thermodynamics and statistical mechanics as inference processes. More specifically, MaxEnt applies inference techniques rooted in Shannon inf ...
*
Entropy in thermodynamics and information theory
References
* Uffink, J., 2001,
Bluff your way in the second law of thermodynamics" ''Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics'' 32(3): 305–94.
* --------, 2007, "Compendium of the Foundations of Classical Statistical Physics" in
Butterfield, J., and
John Earman
John Earman (born 1942) is an American philosopher of physics. He is an emeritus professor in the History and Philosophy of Science department at the University of Pittsburgh. He has also taught at the University of California, Los Angeles, Rocke ...
, eds., ''Philosophy of Physics, Part B''. North Holland: 923–1074.
* Valev, P., 2002,
The Law of Self-Acting Machines and Irreversible Processes with reversible Replicas" in Sheehan, D., (ed.) ''Proceedings of the First International conference on Quantum Limits to the Second Law'', American Institute of Physics: 430–35.
* Martinas et al., ''Thermodynamics: History And Philosophy - Facts, Trends, Debates''
* Hoyer, ''Thermodynamics and Philosophy: Ludwig Boltzmann''
* Sklar, ''Physics and Chance: Philosophical Issues in the Foundations of Statistical Mechanics''
* Ernst & Hüttemann, ''Time, Chance, and Reduction: Philosophical Aspects of Statistical Mechanics''
External links
*
*
Philosophy of physics
{{science-philo-stub