This wide-ranging book introduces information as a key concept not only in physics, from quantum mechanics to thermodynamics, but also in the neighboring sciences and in the humanities. The central part analyzes dynamical processes as manifestations of information flows between microscopic and macroscopic scales and between systems and their environment. Quantum mechanics is interpreted as a reconstruction of mechanics based on fundamental limitations of information processing on the smallest scales. These become particularly manifest in quantum chaos and in quantum computing. Covering subjects such as causality, prediction, undecidability, chaos, and quantum randomness, the book also provides an information-theoretical view of predictability. More than 180 illustrations visualize the concepts and arguments. The book takes inspiration from the author's graduate-level topical lecture but is also well suited for undergraduate studies and is a valuable resource for researchers and professionals.

Building on the material learned by students in their first few years of study, Topics in Statistical Mechanics (Second Edition) presents an advanced level course on statistical and thermal physics. It begins with a review of the formal structure of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics considered from a unified viewpoint. There is a brief revision of non-interacting systems, including quantum gases and a discussion of negative temperatures. Following this, emphasis is on interacting systems. First, weakly interacting systems are considered, where the interest is in seeing how small interactions cause small deviations from the non-interacting case. Second, systems are examined where interactions lead to drastic changes, namely phase transitions. A number of specific examples is given, and these are unified within the Landau theory of phase transitions. The final chapter of the book looks at non-equilibrium systems, in particular the way they evolve towards equilibrium. This is framed within the context of linear response theory. Here fluctuations play a vital role, as is formalised in the fluctuation-dissipation theorem.The second edition has been revised particularly to help students use this book for self-study. In addition, the section on non-ideal gases has been expanded, with a treatment of the hard-sphere gas, and an accessible discussion of interacting quantum gases. In many cases there are details of Mathematica calculations, including Mathematica Notebooks, and expression of some results in terms of Special Functions.

This book contains a selection of the latest research in the field of Computational Social Science (CSS) methods, uses, and results, as presented at the 2018 annual conference of the CSSSA. This conference was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, October 25 - 28, 2018, at the Drury Plaza Hotel. CSS investigates social and behavioral dynamics in both nature and society, through computer simulation, network analysis, and the science of complex systems. The Computational Social Science Society of the Americas (CSSSA) is a professional society that aims to advance the field of CSS in all its areas, from fundamental principles to real-world applications, by holding conferences and workshops, promoting standards of scientific excellence in research and teaching, and publishing novel research findings. What follows is a diverse representation of new approaches and research findings, using the tools of CSS and Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) in exploring complex phenomena across many different domains. Readers will not only have the methods and results of these specific projects on which to build, but will also gain a greater appreciation for the broad scope of CSS, and have a wealth of case-study examples that can serve as meaningful exemplars for new research projects and activities. This book, we hope, will appeal to any researchers and students working in the social sciences, broadly defined, who aim to better understand and apply the concepts of Complex Adaptive Systems to their work.

The aim of this book is to comment on, and clarify, the mathematical aspects of the theory of thermodynamics. The standard presentations of the subject are often beset by a number of obscurities associated with the words "state," "reversible," "irreversible," and "quasi-static." This book is written in the belief that such obscurities are best removed not by the formal axiomatization of thermodynamics, but by setting the theory in the wider context of a genuine field theory which incorporates the effects of heat conduction and intertia, and proving appropriate results about the governing differential equations of this field theory. Even in the simplest one-dimensional case it is a nontrivial task to carry through the details of this program, and many challenging problems remain open.

This book presents the proceedings from ECONOPHYS-2015, an international workshop held in New Delhi, India, on the interrelated fields of "econophysics" and "sociophysics", which have emerged from the application of statistical physics to economics and sociology. Leading researchers from varied communities, including economists, sociologists, financial analysts, mathematicians, physicists, statisticians, and others, report on their recent work, discuss topical issues, and review the relevant contemporary literature. A society can be described as a group of people who inhabit the same geographical or social territory and are mutually involved through their shared participation in different aspects of life. It is possible to observe and characterize average behaviors of members of a society, an example being voting behavior. Moreover, the dynamic nature of interaction within any economic sector comprising numerous cooperatively interacting agents has many features in common with the interacting systems of statistical physics. It is on these bases that interest has grown in the application within sociology and economics of the tools of statistical mechanics. This book will be of value for all with an interest in this flourishing field.

This book presents a selection of the talks resulting from research carried out by different groups at the Centre de Recerca Matematica and presented at the International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics, held in Valencia in 2019. The various chapters describe a wide variety of topics: cancer modelling, carbon capture by adsorption, nanoscale diffusion and complex systems to predict earthquakes. These mathematical studies were specifically aided via collaborations with biomedical engineers, physicists and chemists. The book is addressed to researchers in all of these areas as well as in general mathematical modelling.

This book develops analytical methods for studying the dynamical chaos, synchronization, and dynamics of structures in various models of coupled rotators. Rotators and their systems are defined in a cylindrical phase space, and, unlike oscillators, which are defined in Rn, they have a wider "range" of motion: There are vibrational and rotational types for cyclic variables, as well as their combinations (rotational-vibrational) if the number of cyclic variables is more than one. The specificity of rotator phase space poses serious challenges in terms of selecting methods for studying the dynamics of related systems. The book chiefly focuses on developing a modified form of the method of averaging, which can be used to study the dynamics of rotators. In general, the book uses the "language" of the qualitative theory of differential equations, point mappings, and the theory of bifurcations, which helps authors to obtain new results on dynamical chaos in systems with few degrees of freedom. In addition, a special section is devoted to the study and classification of dynamic structures that can occur in systems with a large number of interconnected objects, i.e. in lattices of rotators and/or oscillators. Given its scope and format, the book can be used both in lectures and courses on nonlinear dynamics, and in specialized courses on the development and operation of relevant systems that can be represented by a large number of various practical systems: interconnected grids of various mechanical systems, various types of networks including not only mechanical but also biological systems, etc.

This book presents the results of scientific research performed over the past two decades by the authors. The book discusses some issues of separated laminar flows that are of great practical interest for the development of new technologies using microchannel flows, where separation zones can form. Of particular interest is the complex mechanism of flow separation with superimposed high external turbulence. The challenges of finding the optimal location for the cavities and fins on heat exchange surfaces are also considered. This is an important fundamental and practical problem when creating new schemes of efficient heat exchangers in various power plants. A wide class of problems of turbulent flow in tubes with flow separation is considered. These data will be useful in engineering estimates of the thermal-hydraulic efficiency of various heat transfer intensifiers. This book focuses on the analysis of thermal characteristics of separated flows, as well as the possibility of controlling the intensity of heat exchange processes, from the point of view of both their intensification and their suppression.

This volume is a compilation of carefully selected questions at the PhD qualifying exam level, including many actual questions from Columbia University, University of Chicago, MIT, State University of New York at Buffalo, Princeton University, University of Wisconsin and the University of California at Berkeley over a twenty-year period. Topics covered in this book include the laws of thermodynamics, phase changes, Maxwell-Boltzmann statistics and kinetic theory of gases.This latest edition has been updated with more problems and solutions and the original problems have also been modernized, excluding outdated questions and emphasizing those that rely on calculations. The problems range from fundamental to advanced in a wide range of topics on thermodynamics and statistical physics, easily enhancing the student's knowledge through workable exercises. Simple-to-solve problems play a useful role as a first check of the student's level of knowledge whereas difficult problems will challenge the student's capacity on finding the solutions.

This monograph discusses the essential principles of the evaporationprocess by looking at it at the molecular and atomic level. In the first part methods of statistical physics, physical kinetics andnumerical modeling are outlined including the Maxwell's distributionfunction, the Boltzmann kinetic equation, the Vlasov approach, and theCUDA technique. The distribution functions of evaporating particles are then defined.Experimental results on the evaporation coefficient and the temperaturejump on the evaporation surface are critically reviewed and compared tothe theory and numerical results presented in previous chapters. The book ends with a chapter devoted to evaporation in differentprocesses, such as boiling and cavitation.This monograph addressesgraduate students and researchers working on phase transitions andrelated fields.

This monograph is devoted to an entirely new branch of nonlinear physics - solitary intrinsic states, or autosolitons, which form in a broad class of physical, chemical and biological dissipative systems. Autosolitons are often observed as highly nonequilibrium regions in slightly nonequilibrium systems, in many ways resembling ball lightning which occurs in the atmosphere. We develop a new approach to problems of self-organization and turbulence, treating these phenomena as a result of spontaneous formation and subsequent evolution of autosolitons. Scenarios of self-organization involve sophisticated interactions between autosolitons, whereas turbulence is regarded as a pattern of autosolitons which appear and disappear at random in different parts of the system. This monograph is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive summary of the theory of autosolitons as developed by the authors over the years of research. The monograph is comprised of three more or less autonomous parts. Part I deals with the physical nature and experimental studies of autosolitons and self organization in various physical systems: semiconductor and gas plasma, heated gas mixture, semiconductor structures, composite superconductors, optical and magnetic media, systems with uniformly generated combustion matter, distributed gas-discharge and electronic systems. We discuss feasibility of autosolitons in the form of highly nonequilibrium regions in slightly nonequilibrium gases and semiconductors, "hot" and "cold" regions in semiconductor and gas plasmas, static, pulsating and traveling combustion fronts."

Researchers, postgraduate and undergraduate students of high energy physics

Over the years enormous effort was invested in proving ergodicity, but for a number of reasons, con?dence in the fruitfulness of this approach has waned. - Y. Ben-Menahem and I. Pitowsky [1] Abstract The basic motivation behind the present text is threefold: To give a new explanation for the emergence of thermodynamics, to investigate the interplay between quantum mechanics and thermodynamics, and to explore possible ext- sions of the common validity range of thermodynamics. Originally, thermodynamics has been a purely phenomenological science. Early s- entists (Galileo, Santorio, Celsius, Fahrenheit) tried to give de?nitions for quantities which were intuitively obvious to the observer, like pressure or temperature, and studied their interconnections. The idea that these phenomena might be linked to other ?elds of physics, like classical mechanics, e.g., was not common in those days. Such a connection was basically introduced when Joule calculated the heat equ- alent in 1840 showing that heat was a form of energy, just like kinetic or potential energy in the theory of mechanics. At the end of the 19th century, when the atomic theory became popular, researchers began to think of a gas as a huge amount of bouncing balls inside a box.

Energy is typically regarded as understandable, despite its multiple forms of storage and transfer. Entropy, however, is an enigma, in part because of the common view that it represents disorder. That view is flawed and hides entropy's connection with energy. In fact, macroscopic matter stores internal energy, and that matter's entropy is determined by how the energy is stored. Energy and entropy are intimately linked. Energy and Entropy: A Dynamic Duo illuminates connections between energy and entropy for students, teachers, and researchers. Conceptual understanding is emphasised where possible through examples, analogies, figures, and key points. Features: Qualitative demonstration that entropy is linked to spatial and temporal energy spreading, with equilibrium corresponding to the most equitable distribution of energy, which corresponds to maximum entropy Analysis of energy and entropy of matter and photons, with examples ranging from rubber bands, cryogenic cooling, and incandescent lamps to Hawking radiation of black holes Unique coverage of numerical entropy, the 3rd law of thermodynamics, entropic force, dimensionless entropy, free energy, and fluctuations, from Maxwell's demon to Brownian ratchets, plus attempts to violate the second law of thermodynamics

This thesis presents the first experimental calibration of the top-quark Monte-Carlo mass. It also provides the top-quark mass-independent and most precise top-quark pair production cross-section measurement to date. The most precise measurements of the top-quark mass obtain the top-quark mass parameter (Monte-Carlo mass) used in simulations, which are partially based on heuristic models. Its interpretation in terms of mass parameters used in theoretical calculations, e.g. a running or a pole mass, has been a long-standing open problem with far-reaching implications beyond particle physics, even affecting conclusions on the stability of the vacuum state of our universe. In this thesis, this problem is solved experimentally in three steps using data obtained with the compact muon solenoid (CMS) detector. The most precise top-quark pair production cross-section measurements to date are performed. The Monte-Carlo mass is determined and a new method for extracting the top-quark mass from theoretical calculations is presented. Lastly, the top-quark production cross-sections are obtained - for the first time - without residual dependence on the top-quark mass, are interpreted using theoretical calculations to determine the top-quark running- and pole mass with unprecedented precision, and are fully consistently compared with the simultaneously obtained top-quark Monte-Carlo mass.

This book contains lectures given at the Institute for Scientific Interchange (I.S.I., Turin) in 1983 - 1984 on the exact solution of the 8-vertex and related models and extensions of the Baxter model to 3 dimensions.

This book takes the notions of adaptivity and learning from the realm of engineering into the realm of biology and natural processes. It introduces a Hebbian-LMS algorithm, an integration of unsupervised Hebbian learning and supervised LMS learning in neural networks, as a mathematical representation of a general theory for synaptic learning in the brain, and adaptation and functional control of homeostasis in living systems. Written in a language that is able to address students and scientists with different backgrounds, this book accompanies readers on a unique journey through various homeostatic processes in living organisms, such as body temperature control and synaptic plasticity, explaining how the Hebbian-LMS algorithm can help understand them, and suggesting some open questions for future research. It also analyses cell signalling pathways from an unusual perspective, where hormones and hormone receptors are shown to be regulated via the principles of the Hebbian-LMS algorithm. It further discusses addiction and pain, and various kinds of mood disorders alike, showing how they can be modelled with the Hebbian-LMS algorithm. For the first time, the Hebbian-LMS algorithm, which has been derived from a combination of Hebbian theory from the neuroscience field and the LMS algorithm from the engineering field of adaptive signal processing, becomes a potent model for understanding how biological regulation works. Thus, this book is breaking new ground in neuroscience by providing scientists with a general theory for how nature does control synaptic learning. It then goes beyond that, showing that the same principles apply to hormone-mediated regulation of physiological processes. In turn, the book tackles in more depth the concept of learning. It covers computer simulations and strategies for training neural networks with the Hebbian-LMS algorithm, demonstrating that the resulting algorithms are able to identify relationships between unknown input patterns. It shows how this can translate in useful ideas to understand human memory and design cognitive structures. All in all, this book offers an absolutely, unique, inspiring reading for biologists, physiologists, and engineers, paving the way for future studies on what we could call the nature's secret learning algorithm.

This book is based on the analogy between contact mechanics and fracture mechanics as proposed by the author about twenty years ago. It starts with a chapter devoted to the surface energy and tension of solids and surface thermodynamics, which is followed by a chapter on elastic recall. The methods of Muskhelichvili and Hankel transforms for the resolution of plane and axisymmetric problems are studied. Then the essential conepts of fracture mechanics are presented with emphasis on the thermodynamic aspect of the problem. The reader will find complete analytical results and detailed calculations for cracks submitted to pressure distributions and the Dugdale model, as well as a chapter on contact mechanics. The contact and adherence of rough solids is also studied. This book is intended for advanced students and researchers working in the fields of fracture mechanics or adhesion.

This book comprises selected papers from the International Conference on Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow (NHTFF 2018), and presents the latest developments in computational methods in heat and mass transfer. It also discusses numerical methods such as finite element, finite difference, and finite volume applied to fluid flow problems. Providing a good balance between computational methods and analytical results applied to a wide variety of problems in heat transfer, transport and fluid mechanics, the book is a valuable resource for students and researchers working in the field of heat transfer and fluid dynamics.

Building on the material learned by students in their first few years of study, Topics in Statistical Mechanics (Second Edition) presents an advanced level course on statistical and thermal physics. It begins with a review of the formal structure of statistical mechanics and thermodynamics considered from a unified viewpoint. There is a brief revision of non-interacting systems, including quantum gases and a discussion of negative temperatures. Following this, emphasis is on interacting systems. First, weakly interacting systems are considered, where the interest is in seeing how small interactions cause small deviations from the non-interacting case. Second, systems are examined where interactions lead to drastic changes, namely phase transitions. A number of specific examples is given, and these are unified within the Landau theory of phase transitions. The final chapter of the book looks at non-equilibrium systems, in particular the way they evolve towards equilibrium. This is framed within the context of linear response theory. Here fluctuations play a vital role, as is formalised in the fluctuation-dissipation theorem.The second edition has been revised particularly to help students use this book for self-study. In addition, the section on non-ideal gases has been expanded, with a treatment of the hard-sphere gas, and an accessible discussion of interacting quantum gases. In many cases there are details of Mathematica calculations, including Mathematica Notebooks, and expression of some results in terms of Special Functions.

The book focuses on the study of the temporal behavior of complex many-particle systems. The phenomenon of time and its role in the temporal evolution of complex systems is a remaining mystery. The book presents the necessity of the interdisciplinary point of view regarding on the phenomenon of time.The aim of the present study is to summarize and formulate in a concise but clear form the trends and approaches to the concept of time from a broad interdisciplinary perspective exposing tersely the complementary approaches and theories of time in the context of thermodynamics, statistical physics, cosmology, theory of information, biology and biophysics, including the problem of time and aging. Various approaches to the problem show that time is an extraordinarily interdisciplinary and multifaceted underlying notion which plays an extremely important role in various natural complex processes.

This book presents in a progressive way the techniques used in the proof of the hydrodynamic behavior of interacting particle systems. It starts with introductory material on independent particles and goes all the way to nongradient systems, covering the entropy and the relative entropy methods, asymmetric processes from which hyperbolic equations emerge, the equilibrium fluctuations and the large deviations theory for short-range stochastic dynamics. It reviews, in appendices, some tools of Markov process theory and derives estimates on the spectral gap of reversible, conservative generators. The book is self-contained and can be read by graduate students in mathematics or mathematical physics with standard probability background. It can be used as a support for a graduate on stochastic processes.

This book is part of a set of books which offers advanced students successive characterization tool phases, the study of all types of phase (liquid, gas and solid, pure or multi-component), process engineering, chemical and electrochemical equilibria, and the properties of surfaces and phases of small sizes. Macroscopic and microscopic models are in turn covered with a constant correlation between the two scales. Particular attention has been given to the rigor of mathematical developments. This second volume in the set is devoted to the study of liquid phases.

This is the first scientic book devoted to the Pauli exclusion principle, which is a fundamental principle of quantum mechanics and is permanently applied in chemistry, physics, and molecular biology. However, while the principle has been studied for more than 90 years, rigorous theoretical foundations still have not been established and many unsolved problems remain. Following a historical survey in Chapter 1, the book discusses the still unresolved questions around this fundamental principle. For instance, why, according to the Pauli exclusion principle, are only symmetric and antisymmetric permutation symmetries for identical particles realized, while the Schrodinger equation is satisfied by functions with any permutation symmetry? Chapter 3 covers possible answers to this question. The construction of function with a given permutation symmetry is described in the previous Chapter 2, while Chapter 4 presents effective and elegant methods for finding the Pauli-allowed states in atomic, molecular, and nuclear spectroscopy. Chapter 5 discusses parastatistics and fractional statistics, demonstrating that the quasiparticles in a periodical lattice, including excitons and magnons, are obeying modified parafermi statistics. With detailed appendices, The Pauli Exclusion Principle: Origin, Verifications, and Applications is intended as a self-sufficient guide for graduate students and academic researchers in the fields of chemistry, physics, molecular biology and applied mathematics. It will be a valuable resource for any reader interested in the foundations of quantum mechanics and its applications, including areas such as atomic and molecular spectroscopy, spintronics, theoretical chemistry, and applied fields of quantum information.