Thermodynamics as Control Theory

Entropy

关键词: thermodynamics;    landauer;    control theory;   

DOI  :  10.3390/e16020699

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

I explore the reduction of thermodynamics to statistical mechanics by treating the former as a control theory: A theory of which transitions between states can be induced on a system (assumed to obey some known underlying dynamics) by means of operations from a fixed list. I recover the results of standard thermodynamics in this framework on the assumption that the available operations do not include measurements which affect subsequent choices of operations. I then relax this assumption and use the framework to consider the vexed questions of Maxwell’s demon and Landauer’s principle. Throughout, I assume rather than prove the basic irreversibility features of statistical mechanics, taking care to distinguish them from the conceptually distinct assumptions of thermodynamics proper.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland