The Road to Maxwell's demon

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 devel...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hemmo, Meir, Shenker, Orly (Author)
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:
Collection: Cambridge Books Online - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
LEADER 05992nmm a2200337 u 4500
001 EB000738333
003 EBX01000000000000000589765
005 00000000000000.0
007 cr|||||||||||||||||||||
008 140413 ||| eng
020 |a 9781139095167 
050 4 |a QC318.M35 
100 1 |a Hemmo, Meir 
245 0 0 |a The Road to Maxwell's demon  |c Meir Hemmo, Orly Shenker 
260 |a Cambridge  |b Cambridge University Press  |c 2012 
300 |a xii, 327 pages  |b digital 
505 0 |a 1. Introduction -- 2. Thermodynamics -- 2.1. The experience of asymmetry in time -- 2.2. The Law of Conservation of Energy -- 2.3. The Law of Approach to Equilibrium -- 2.4. The Second Law of Thermodynamics -- 2.5. The status of the laws of thermodynamics -- 3. Classical mechanics -- 3.1. The fundamental theory of the world -- 3.2. Introducing classical mechanics -- 3.3. Mechanical states -- 3.4. Time evolution of mechanical states -- 3.5. Thermodynamic magnitudes -- 3.6. A mechanical no-go theorem -- 3.7. The ergodic approach -- 3.8. Conclusion -- 4. Time -- 4.1. Introduction: why mechanics cannot underwrite thermodynamics -- 4.2. Classical kinematics -- 4.3. The direction of time and the direction of velocity in time -- 4.4. The description of mechanical states -- 4.5. Velocity reversal -- 4.6. Retrodiction -- 4.7. Time reversal and time-reversal invariance -- 4.8. Why the time-reversal invariance of classical mechanics matters -- 5. Macrostates --  
505 0 |a 5.1. The physical nature of macrostates -- 5.2. How do macrostates come about? -- 5.3. Explaining thermodynamics with macrostates -- 5.4. The dynamics of macrostates -- 5.5. The physical origin of thermodynamic macrostates -- 5.6. Boltzmann's macrostates -- 5.7. Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution -- 5.8. The observer in statistical mechanics -- 5.9. Counterfactual observers -- 6. Probability -- 6.1. Introduction -- 6.2. Probability in statistical mechanics -- 6.3. Choice of measure in statistical mechanics -- 6.4. Measure of a macrostate and its probability -- 6.5. Transition probabilities without blobs -- 6.6. Dependence on observed history? -- 6.7. The spin echo experiments -- 6.8. Robustness of transition probabilities -- 6.9. No probability over initial conditions -- 7. Entropy -- 7.1. Introduction -- 7.2. Entropy -- 7.3. The distinction between entropy and probability -- 7.4. Equilibrium in statistical mechanics -- 7.5. Law of Approach to Equilibrium --  
505 0 |a 7.6. Second Law of Thermodynamics -- 7.7. Boltzmann's H-theorem -- 7.8. Loschmidt's reversibility objection -- 7.9. Poincare's recurrence theorem -- 7.10. Boltzmann's combinatorial argument -- 7.11. Back to Boltzmann's equation: Lanford's theorem -- 7.12. Conclusion -- 8. Typicality -- 8.1. Introduction -- 8.2. The explanatory arrow in statistical mechanics -- 8.3. Typicality -- 8.4. Are there natural measures? -- 8.5. Typical initial conditions -- 8.6. Measure-1 theorems and typicality -- 8.7. Conclusion -- 9. Measurement -- 9.1. Introduction -- 9.2. What is measurement in classical mechanics? -- 9.3. Collapse in classical measurement -- 9.4. State preparation -- 9.5. The shadows approach -- 9.6. Entropy -- 9.7. Status of the observer -- 10. The past -- 10.1. Introduction -- 10.2. The problem of retrodiction -- 10.3. The Past Hypothesis: memory and measurement -- 10.4. The Reliability Hypothesis -- 10.5. Past low entropy hypothesis -- 10.6. Remembering the future --  
505 0 |a 10.7. Problem of initial improbable state -- 10.8. The dynamics of the Past Hypothesis -- 10.9. Local and global Past Hypotheses -- 10.10. Past Hypothesis and physics of memory -- 10.11. Memory in a time-reversed universe -- 11. Gibbs -- 11.1. Introduction -- 11.2. The Gibbsian method in equilibrium -- 11.3. Gibbsian method in terms of blobs and macrostates -- 11.4. Gibbsian equilibrium probability distributions -- 11.5. The approach to equilibrium -- 12. Erasure -- 12.1. Introduction -- 12.2. Why there is no microscopic erasure -- 12.3. What is a macroscopic erasure? -- 12.4. Necessary and sufficient conditions for erasure -- 12.5. Logic and entropy -- 12.6. Another logically irreversible operation -- 12.7. Logic and entropy: a model -- 12.8. What does erasure erase? -- 12.9. Conclusion -- 13. Maxwell's Demon -- 13.1. Thermodynamic and statistical mechanical demons -- 13.2. Szilard's insight -- 13.3. Entropy reduction: measurement -- 13.4. Efficiency and predictability --  
505 0 |a 13.5. Completing the cycle of operation: erasure -- 13.6. The Liberal Stance -- 13.7. Conclusion -- Appendix A Szilard's engine -- Appendix B Quantum mechanics -- B.1. Albert's approach -- B.2. Bohmian mechanics -- B.3. A quantum mechanical Maxwellian Demon 
600 1 4 |a Maxwell, James Clerk / 1831-1879 
653 |a Maxwell's demon 
653 |a Second law of thermodynamics 
653 |a Statistical thermodynamics 
700 1 |a Shenker, Orly  |e [author] 
041 0 7 |a eng  |2 ISO 639-2 
989 |b CBO  |a Cambridge Books Online 
856 4 0 |u https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139095167  |x Verlag  |3 Volltext 
082 0 |a 536.71 
520 |a 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