PIRSA:14030093 Scientific Series Quantum Foundations

DOI10.48660/14030093

Series: Quantum Foundations

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}}
}

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.

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