Event Title
Location
Tacoma
Event Website
Statistcal Mechanics and the Past Hypothesis
Start Date
1-2-2019 4:00 PM
End Date
1-2-2019 4:50 PM
Description
Statistical mechanics is a time invariant explanation of thermodynamic phenomena at a microphysical level. However, given that the laws of thermodynamics are not time-reversal symmetric, it is unclear whether to introduce the asymmetry through boundary conditions (through the past hypothesis) or through the dynamic laws themselves. In this paper, I defend the need of a boundary condition for statistical mechanics against two main objections: that there is no independent knowledge of the past hypothesis, and that the dynamic laws in statistical mechanics should be time-reversal asymmetric. I first introduce core notions of statistical mechanics, explain the past hypothesis and its motivation. Then, I bring up the two main objections against the past hypothesis and my subsequent defense against them.
Type
event
Included in
Statistcal Mechanics and the Past Hypothesis
Tacoma
Statistical mechanics is a time invariant explanation of thermodynamic phenomena at a microphysical level. However, given that the laws of thermodynamics are not time-reversal symmetric, it is unclear whether to introduce the asymmetry through boundary conditions (through the past hypothesis) or through the dynamic laws themselves. In this paper, I defend the need of a boundary condition for statistical mechanics against two main objections: that there is no independent knowledge of the past hypothesis, and that the dynamic laws in statistical mechanics should be time-reversal asymmetric. I first introduce core notions of statistical mechanics, explain the past hypothesis and its motivation. Then, I bring up the two main objections against the past hypothesis and my subsequent defense against them.
https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/psupc/psupc2019/friday/10