2007/02/28 by O. J. E. Maroney
Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Statistical Mechanics and Entropy #cond-mat.stat-mech #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.79.031105
published as PHYSICAL REVIEW E 79, 031105 (2009) · 29 pages, 4 figures. v4 Major changes to thermodynamic reversibility discussion
openalex publication_date 2009/03/10 · arxiv created 2009/11/30 · arxiv updated 2009/12/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In a recent paper [Stud. Hist. Philos. Mod. Phys. 36, 355 (2005)] it is argued that to properly understand the thermodynamics of Landauer's principle it is necessary to extend the concept of logical operations to include indeterministic operations. Here we examine the thermodynamics of such operations in more detail, extending the work of Landauer to include indeterministic operations and to include logical states with variable entropies, temperatures, and mean energies. We derive the most general statement of Landauer's principle and prove its universality, extending considerably the validity of previous proofs. This confirms conjectures made that all logical operations may, in principle, be performed in a thermodynamically reversible fashion, although logically irreversible operations would require special, practically rather difficult, conditions to do so. We demonstrate a physical process that can perform any computation without work requirements or heat exchange with the environment. Many widespread statements of Landauer's principle are shown to be special cases of our generalized principle.