2012/09/11 by L. Benguigui · 18 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics #Boltzmann constant #Boltzmann equation #Boltzmann's entropy formula #Entropy (arrow of time) #Entropy in thermodynamics and information theory #H-theorem #Joint quantum entropy #Maximum entropy thermodynamics #Physics #Quantum Mechanics and Applications #Quantum mechanics #Statistical Mechanics and Entropy #Statistical physics #Theoretical physics #Thermodynamics #physics.hist-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0143-0807/34/2/303
published in European Journal of Physics 34(2), 303-321 (IOP Publishing) · 32 pages
arxiv created 2012/09/11 · openalex publication_date 2013/01/21 · arxiv updated 2015/06/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
In order to undestand how the complex concept of entropy emerged,we propose a trip towards the past reviewing the works of Clausius, Boltzmann, Gibbs and Planck. In particular, since the Gibbs's work is not very well known, we present a detailed analysis, recalling the three definitions of the entropy that Gibbs gives. May be one of the most important aspect of the entropy is to see it as a thermodynamic potential like the other thermodynamic potentials as proposed by Callen. We close with some remarks on entropy and irreversibility.