On the relevance of the maximum entropy principle in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
On the relevance of the maximum entropy principle in non-equilibrium statistical mechanics
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DOI：
10.1140/epjst/e2017-70064-x
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发表时间：
2017-07-01
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Vulpiani, Angelo
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Auletta, Gennaro;Rondoni, Lamberto;Vulpiani, Angelo
乍一看，最大熵原理（MEP）显然使我们能够推导或以一种简单的方式证明平衡统计力学的基本结果。正因为如此，一些学派认为MEP是在物理学和其他学科中进行预测的一种强大而优雅的方式，而不是像统计物理学中的其他工具那样是一种有用的技术工具。从这个角度来看，MEP是一种比传统的统计物理预测方法更通用的替代方法。实际上，仔细的检查表明，这样的成功是由于一系列幸运的事实，这些事实表征了平衡系统的物理特性，但在哈密顿动力学没有描述的情况下，或一般的非平衡现象中，这些事实是不存在的。在这里，我们讨论了几个重要的例子，在非平衡统计力学中，MEP导致不正确的预测，证明它不具有预测性质。我们得出的结论是，在这些范例中，不能避免使用对动力学相关方面进行详细分析的方法。
At first glance, the maximum entropy principle (MEP) apparently allows us to derive, or justify in a simple way, fundamental results of equilibrium statistical mechanics. Because of this, a school of thought considers the MEP as a powerful and elegant way to make predictions in physics and other disciplines, rather than a useful technical tool like others in statistical physics. From this point of view the MEP appears as an alternative and more general predictive method than the traditional ones of statistical physics. Actually, careful inspection shows that such a success is due to a series of fortunate facts that characterize the physics of equilibrium systems, but which are absent in situations not described by Hamiltonian dynamics, or generically in nonequilibrium phenomena. Here we discuss several important examples in non equilibrium statistical mechanics, in which the MEP leads to incorrect predictions, proving that it does not have a predictive nature. We conclude that, in these paradigmatic examples, an approach that uses a detailed analysis of the relevant aspects of the dynamics cannot be avoided.