Talk:Introduction to entropy: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:04, 19 December 2020

Revision as of 22:19, 19 December 2020

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::::::::::The notions of 'an equilibrium microstate' and of 'a non-equilibrium microstate' belong specifically to statistical mechanics.

::::::::::A physical trajectory as conceived by Boltzmann is not a random walk, but is generated by Newton's laws of motion. Mathematicians today try to deal with such trajectories as such. Thermodynamic equilibrium and non-equilibrium are characterized by trajectories, not by isolated points. Every point on an equilibrium trajectory has an equal status, as, if you like, 'an equilibrium microstate'. No point on an equilibrium trajectory is 'a non-equilibrium microstate'. ThermodynamicEvery equilibriumpoint andon a non-equilibrium aretrajectory characterizedhas, byif trajectoriesyou like, notan byequal isolatedstatus pointsas 'a non-equilibrium microstate'. No point on a non-equilibrium trajectory is 'an equilibrium microstate'. Boltzmann continued the work of Maxwell and others, using the statistical mechanical procedure, but that does not actually make a Newtonian trajectory into an actual random walk.

::::::::::It might be said that the switch from Newtonian trajectory to random walk is made by a mind projection fallacy. It is not obvious that we should impose that fallacy on novices who are not expected to be trained in academic physics.[[User:Chjoaygame|Chjoaygame]] ([[User talk:Chjoaygame|talk]]) 22:04, 19 December 2020 (UTC)