PIRSA:14030093

Ambiguities in order-theoretic formulations of thermodynamics

Brown, H. (2014). Ambiguities in order-theoretic formulations of thermodynamics. Perimeter Institute. https://pirsa.org/14030093

Brown, Harvey. Ambiguities in order-theoretic formulations of thermodynamics. Perimeter Institute, Mar. 21, 2014, https://pirsa.org/14030093 

          @misc{ pirsa_PIRSA:14030093,
            doi = {10.48660/14030093},
            url = {https://pirsa.org/14030093},
            author = {Brown, Harvey},
            keywords = {Quantum Foundations},
            language = {en},
            title = {Ambiguities in order-theoretic formulations of thermodynamics},
            publisher = {Perimeter Institute},
            year = {2014},
            month = {mar},
            note = {PIRSA:14030093 see, \url{https://pirsa.org}}
          }

Harvey Brown

University of Oxford

Talk number
PIRSA:14030093
Collection
Talk Type
Subject
Abstract
Since the 1909 work of Carathéodory, an axiomatic approach to thermodynamics has gained ground which highlights the role of the the binary relation of adiabatic accessibility between equilibrium states. A feature of Carathédory's system is that the version therein of the second law contains an ambiguity about the nature of irreversible adiabatic processes, making it weaker than the traditional Kelvin-Planck statement of the law. This talk attempts first to clarify the nature of this ambiguity, by defining the arrow of time in thermodynamics by way of the Equilibrium Principle (``Minus First Law''). It then examines the extent to which the 1989 axiomatisation of Lieb and Yngvason shares the same ambiguity, despite proposing a very different approach to the second law.