Entropy In Statistical Mechanics Research Articles

Entropy Considerations in Stochastic Electrodynamics

The use of entropy concepts in the field of stochastic electrodynamics is briefly reviewed here. Entropy calculations that have been fully carried out to date are discussed in two main cases: first, where electric dipole oscillators interact with zero-point, or zero-point plus Planckian, or Rayleigh–Jeans radiation; and second, where only these radiation fields exist within a cavity. The emphasis here is on the first, more complicated, case, where both charged particles and radiation fields are present and interacting. Unlike the usual exposition on entropy in classical statistical mechanics, involving probabilistic notions of phase-space occupation, the calculations to date for both particles and fields, or for fields alone, follow the caloric entropy method, where the notions of heat flow, adiabatic surfaces, and isothermal conditions are utilized. Probability notions certainly still enter into the calculations, as the fields and charged particles interact stochastically together, following Maxwellian electrodynamics. Examples of phase-space calculations for harmonic oscillators and classical hydrogen atoms are carried out, emphasizing how much farther caloric entropy calculations have successfully gone.

Perspective on physical interpretations of Rényi entropy in statistical mechanics

Rényi entropy is a one-parameter generalization of Shannon entropy, which has been used in various fields of physics. Despite its wide applicability, the physical interpretations of the Rényi entropy are not widely known. In this paper, we discuss some basic properties of the Rényi entropy relevant to physics, in particular statistical mechanics, and its physical interpretations using free energy, replicas, work, and large deviation.

Two-parameter deformed quantum mechanics based on Fibonacci calculus and Debye crystal model of two-parameter deformed quantum statistics

Starting on the basis of Fibonacci calculus and Fibonacci oscillator algebra, we introduce the main properties to develop a new formalism for the two-parameter (q1,q2)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$({q}_{1},{q}_{2})$$\\end{document}-deformed quantum mechanics, where q1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${q}_{1}$$\\end{document} and q2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${q}_{2}$$\\end{document} are real positive independent deformation parameters. As applications of such a two-parameter deformed formalism, we investigate the behavior of a quantum particle in some different physical phenomena covering the free particle and the inverse-harmonic potential case. The effect of two deformation parameters on the wave functions for these applications is studied. Another application is carried out onto the quantum statistics of lattice oscillations through a model of the (q1,q2)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$({q}_{1},{q}_{2})$$\\end{document}-deformed phonon gas, and it is shown that the high- and low-temperature behavior of the model specific heat differs notably from the classical theories for the interval 0<(q1,q2)<∞\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$0<({q}_{1},{q}_{2})<\\infty $$\\end{document}. We also construct a two-parameter deformed non-extensive entropy based on some elements of the Fibonacci calculus and discuss its possible connection with the Tsallis entropy in non-extensive statistical mechanics. Finally, other possible application areas of the present two-parameter (q1,q2)\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$({q}_{1},{q}_{2})$$\\end{document}-deformed construction on quantum mechanics are discussed.

Rényi Entropy in Statistical Mechanics.

Rényi entropy was originally introduced in the field of information theory as a parametric relaxation of Shannon (in physics, Boltzmann–Gibbs) entropy. This has also fuelled different attempts to generalise statistical mechanics, although mostly skipping the physical arguments behind this entropy and instead tending to introduce it artificially. However, as we will show, modifications to the theory of statistical mechanics are needless to see how Rényi entropy automatically arises as the average rate of change of free energy over an ensemble at different temperatures. Moreover, this notion is extended by considering distributions for isospectral, non-isothermal processes, resulting in relative versions of free energy, in which the Kullback–Leibler divergence or the relative version of Rényi entropy appear within the structure of the corrections to free energy. These generalisations of free energy recover the ordinary thermodynamic potential whenever isothermal processes are considered.

Quantum corrections to the entropy and its application in the study of quantum Carnot engines.

Entropy is one of the most basic concepts in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. The most widely used definition of statistical mechanical entropy for a quantum system is introduced by von Neumann. While in classical systems, the statistical mechanical entropy is defined by Gibbs. The relation between these two definitions of entropy is still not fully explored. In this work, we study this problem by employing the phase-space formulation of quantum mechanics. For those quantum states having well-defined classical counterparts, we study the quantum-classical correspondence and quantum corrections of the entropy. We expand the von Neumann entropy in powers of ℏ by using the phase-space formulation, and the zeroth-order term reproduces the Gibbs entropy. We also obtain the explicit expression of the quantum corrections of the entropy. Moreover, we find that for the thermodynamic equilibrium state, all terms odd in ℏ are exactly zero. As an application, we derive quantum corrections for the net work extraction during a quantum Carnot cycle. Our results bring important insights into the understanding of quantum entropy and may have potential applications in the study of quantum heat engines.

Emergence and correspondence for string theory black holes

This is one of a pair of papers that give a historical-cum-philosophical analysis of the endeavour to understand black hole entropy as a statistical mechanical entropy obtained by counting string-theoretic microstates. Both papers focus on Andrew Strominger and Cumrun Vafa's ground-breaking 1996 calculation, which analysed the black hole in terms of D-branes. The first paper gives a conceptual analysis of the Strominger-Vafa argument, and of several research efforts that it engendered. In this paper, we assess whether the black hole should be considered as emergent from the d-brane system, particularly in light of the role that duality plays in the argument. We further identify uses of the quantum-to-classical correspondence principle in string theory discussions of black holes, and compare these to the heuristics of earlier efforts in theory construction, in particular those of the old quantum theory.

Quantum operator entropies under unitary evolution

For a quantum state undergoing unitary Schrödinger time evolution, the von Neumann entropy is constant. Yet the second law of thermodynamics, and our experience, show that entropy increases with time. Ingarden introduced the quantum operator entropy, which is the Shannon entropy of the probability distribution for the eigenvalues of a Hermitian operator [R. S. Ingarden, Quantum information theory, Rep. Math. Phys. 10, 43 (1976)RMHPBE0034-487710.1016/0034-4877(76)90005-7]. These entropies characterize the missing information about a particular observable inherent in the quantum state itself. The von Neumann entropy is the quantum operator entropy for the case when the operator is the density matrix. We examine pure state unitary evolution in a simple model system composed of a set of highly interconnected topologically disordered states and a time-independent Hamiltonian. An initially confined state is subject to free expansion into available states. The time development is completely reversible with no loss of quantum information and no course graining is applied. The positional entropy increases in time in a way that is consistent with both the classical statistical mechanical entropy and the second law.

Analysis of intermittently controlled multiple jets using DNS

Jet is one of the most basic flow used in the industrial field, and improvement of mixing and diffusion by jet is required in industrial equipment. Characteristics such as mixing and diffusion of the jet strongly depend on the large scale vortex structure formed near the outlet, and the mixing performance of the jet can be improved by controlling the vortex structure near the jet outlet with appropriate inflow conditions. In the case of mixing and diffusion in a wide space, a multiple jets are used in many fields in practice. Multiple jets are, unlike jets issued from single nozzle, interfere with each other downstream and strongly influence mixing performance such as entrainment of surrounding fluid and diffusion to surrounding environment. In this study, in order to reduce interference between jets or to use interference actively, intermittent control of jets with varying control frequency and jet spacing was studied using DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation). Statistical mechanical entropy is evaluated to quantify the mixing characteristics of intermittent control. It is confirmed that the mixing efficiency is significantly improved as compared to the non-controlled jet, which suggests that the intermittent control can be expected to help improve the mixing performance of multiple jets.

Planck's experiment on gas mixing, Gibbs' paradox and the definition of entropy in statistical mechanics

The interpretation of entropy provided by statistical thermodynamics is not adequate to represent the thermodynamic entropy of the gas of noninteracting particles considered in this theory. Planck's thought experiment on reversible mixing and Gibbs' paradox provide perhaps the best-known evidence of this. The assumption that the internal energy of an ideal gas depends only on its temperature is introduced both in the kinetic theory of gases and in the classical thermodynamics. Such an assumption is no doubt adequate to deal with real gases at appropriately low pressures and high temperatures. However, the present paper shows that the same assumption implies that the entropy of an ideal gas, like its internal energy, must also depend only on temperature. The paper calculates the expression of the entropy function that is consistent with the internal energy function of the gas. From this expression, the thermodynamic entropy of the ideal gas – as distinct from its statistical entropy – is finally expressed in terms of statistical mechanics variables.

Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy and dissipation in driven classical Hamiltonian systems

A central concept in the connection between physics and information theory is entropy, which represents the amount of information extracted from the system by the observer performing measurements in an experiment. Indeed, Jaynes' principle of maximum entropy allows to establish the connection between entropy in statistical mechanics and information entropy. In this sense, the dissipated energy in a classical Hamiltonian process, known as the thermodynamic entropy production, is connected to the relative entropy between the forward and backward probability densities. Recently, it was revealed that energetic inefficiency and model inefficiency, defined as the difference in mutual information that the system state shares with the future and past environmental variables, are equivalent concepts in Markovian processes. As a consequence, the question about a possible connection between model unpredictability and energetic inefficiency in the framework of classical physics emerges. Here, we address this question by connecting the concepts of random behavior of a classical Hamiltonian system, the Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy, with its energetic inefficiency, the dissipated work. This approach allows us to provide meaningful interpretations of information concepts in terms of thermodynamic quantities.

Haematopoietic stem cells: entropic landscapes of differentiation.

The metaphor of a potential epigenetic differentiation landscape broadly suggests that during differentiation a stem cell approaches a stable equilibrium state from a higher free energy towards a stable equilibrium state which represents the final cell type. It has been conjectured that there is an analogy to the concept of entropy in statistical mechanics. In this context, in the undifferentiated state, the entropy would be large since fewer constraints exist on the gene expression programmes of the cell. As differentiation progresses, gene expression programmes become more and more constrained and thus the entropy would be expected to decrease. In order to assess these predictions, we compute the Shannon entropy for time-resolved single-cell gene expression data in two different experimental set-ups of haematopoietic differentiation. We find that the behaviour of this entropy measure is in contrast to these predictions. In particular, we find that the Shannon entropy is not a decreasing function of developmental pseudo-time but instead it increases towards the time point of commitment before decreasing again. This behaviour is consistent with an increase in gene expression disorder observed in populations sampled at the time point of commitment. Single cells in these populations exhibit different combinations of regulator activity that suggest the presence of multiple configurations of a potential differentiation network as a result of multiple entry points into the committed state.

The definition of the thermodynamic entropy in statistical mechanics

A definition of the thermodynamic entropy based on the time-dependent probability distribution of the macroscopic variables is developed. When a constraint in a composite system is released, the probability distribution for the new equilibrium values goes to a narrow peak. Defining the entropy by the logarithm of the probability distribution automatically makes it a maximum at the equilibrium values, so it satisfies the Second Law. It is also satisfies the postulates of thermodynamics. Objections to this definition by Dieks and Peters are discussed and resolved.

Probability distributions of bed load particle velocities, accelerations, hop distances, and travel times informed by Jaynes's principle of maximum entropy

AbstractWe describe the most likely forms of the probability distributions of bed load particle velocities, accelerations, hop distances, and travel times, in a manner that formally appeals to inferential statistics while honoring mechanical and kinematic constraints imposed by equilibrium transport conditions. The analysis is based on E. Jaynes's elaboration of the implications of the similarity between the Gibbs entropy in statistical mechanics and the Shannon entropy in information theory. By maximizing the information entropy of a distribution subject to known constraints on its moments, our choice of the form of the distribution is unbiased. The analysis suggests that particle velocities and travel times are exponentially distributed and that particle accelerations follow a Laplace distribution with zero mean. Particle hop distances, viewed alone, ought to be distributed exponentially. However, the covariance between hop distances and travel times precludes this result. Instead, the covariance structure suggests that hop distances follow a Weibull distribution. These distributions are consistent with high‐resolution measurements obtained from high‐speed imaging of bed load particle motions. The analysis brings us closer to choosing distributions based on our mechanical insight.

Negative temperatures and the definition of entropy

The concept of negative temperature has recently received renewed interest in the context of debates about the correct definition of the thermodynamic entropy in statistical mechanics. Several researchers have identified the thermodynamic entropy exclusively with the “volume entropy” suggested by Gibbs, and have further concluded that by this definition, negative temperatures violate the principles of thermodynamics. We disagree with these conclusions. We demonstrate that volume entropy is inconsistent with the postulates of thermodynamics for systems with non-monotonic energy densities, while a definition of entropy based on the probability distributions of macroscopic variables does satisfy the postulates of thermodynamics. Our results confirm that negative temperature is a valid extension of thermodynamics.

The validity of the third law of thermodynamics for the Rényi and homogeneous entropies

Bento et al. (2015) recently proposed to use the third law of thermodynamics as a test for the generalized entropies, since the third law should be respected by any statistical mechanical entropy regardless of the explicit form of the Hamiltonian. We first consider the Rényi entropy which is the sole additive generalized entropy, and show that it violates the third law for q>1. Interestingly, this is exactly the interval where the Rényi entropy is neither concave nor convex. We then consider the homogeneous entropy and show that it also violates the third law for 0<q<1. This implies that the homogeneous entropy cannot be used as a generalized statistical mechanical entropy, since the aforementioned interval is the only interval for which the homogeneous entropy yields normalizable distributions.

Statistical and entanglement entropy for black holes in quantum geometry

We analyze the relationship between entanglement (or geometric) entropy with statistical mechanical entropy of horizon degrees of freedom when described in the framework of isolated horizons in loop quantum gravity. We show that, once the relevant degrees of freedom are identified, the two notions coincide. The key ingredient linking the two notions is the structure of quantum geometry at Planck scale implied by loop quantum gravity, where correlations between the inside and outside of the black hole are mediated by eigenstates of the horizon area operator.

Quantifying networks complexity from information geometry viewpoint

We consider a Gaussian statistical model whose parameter space is given by the variances of random variables. Underlying this model we identify networks by interpreting random variables as sitting on vertices and their correlations as weighted edges among vertices. We then associate to the parameter space a statistical manifold endowed with a Riemannian metric structure (that of Fisher-Rao). Going on, in analogy with the microcanonical definition of entropy in Statistical Mechanics, we introduce an entropic measure of networks complexity. We prove that it is invariant under networks isomorphism. Above all, considering networks as simplicial complexes, we evaluate this entropy on simplexes and find that it monotonically increases with their dimension.

The Gibbs Paradox and the Definition of Entropy in Statistical Mechanics

This article considers the Gibbs paradox and its implications for three definitions of entropy in statistical mechanics: (i) the “classical” Boltzmann entropy (SB1); (ii) the modified Boltzmann entropy that is usually proposed in response to the paradox (SB2); and (iii) a generalized version of the latter (SB2G). It is argued that (i) notwithstanding a recent suggestion to the contrary, the paradox does imply that SB1 is not a satisfactory definition of entropy; (ii) SB2 is undermined by “second-order” versions of the paradox; and (iii) SB2G solves the paradox but is not a satisfactory definition of entropy.

A statistical mechanical interpretation of algorithmic information theory III: composite systems and fixed points

The statistical mechanical interpretation of algorithmic information theory (AIT for short) was introduced and developed in our previous papers Tadaki (2008; 2012), where we introduced into AIT the notion of thermodynamic quantities, such as the partition function Z(T), free energy F(T), energy E(T) and statistical mechanical entropy S(T). We then discovered that in the interpretation, the temperature T is equal to the partial randomness of the values of all these thermodynamic quantities, where the notion of partial randomness is a stronger representation of the compression rate by means of program-size complexity. Furthermore, we showed that this situation holds for the temperature itself as a thermodynamic quantity, namely, for each of the thermodynamic quantities above, the computability of its value at temperature T gives a sufficient condition for T ∈ (0, 1) to be a fixed point on partial randomness. In this paper, we develop the statistical mechanical interpretation of AIT further and pursue its formal correspondence to normal statistical mechanics. The thermodynamic quantities in AIT are defined on the basis of the halting set of an optimal prefix-free machine, which is a universal decoding algorithm used to define the notion of program-size complexity. We show that there are infinitely many optimal prefix-free machines that give completely different sufficient conditions for each of the thermodynamic quantities in AIT. We do this by introducing the notion of composition of prefix-free machines into AIT, which corresponds to the notion of the composition of systems in normal statistical mechanics.

Fixed point theorems on partial randomness

In our former work [K. Tadaki, A statistical mechanical interpretation of algorithmic information theory, in: Local Proceedings of Computability in Europe 2008, CiE 2008, pp. 425–434, June 15–20, 2008, University of Athens, Greece. Extended Version Available at arXiv:0801.4194v1], we developed a statistical mechanical interpretation of algorithmic information theory by introducing the notion of thermodynamic quantities at temperature T, such as free energy F(T), energy E(T), and statistical mechanical entropy S(T), into the theory. These quantities are real functions of real argument T>0. We then discovered that, in the interpretation, the temperature T equals to the partial randomness of the values of all these thermodynamic quantities, where the notion of partial randomness is a stronger representation of the compression rate by program-size complexity. Furthermore, we showed that this situation holds for the temperature itself as a thermodynamic quantity. Namely, the computability of the value of partition function Z(T) gives a sufficient condition for T∈(0,1) to be a fixed point on partial randomness. In this paper, we show that the computability of each of all the thermodynamic quantities above gives the sufficient condition also. Moreover, we show that the computability of F(T) gives completely different fixed points from the computability of Z(T).