Time, Chance, and Reduction - Philosophical Aspects of Statistical Mechanics

Informationen zum Autor GERHARD ERNST is a Professor of History of Philosophy and Moral Philosophy at Universität Stuttgart. His main research interests are in moral philosophy, epistemology and philosophy of science. ANDREAS HÜTTEMANN is a Professor of Philosophy at Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität, Münster. His research interests include philosophy of science and early modern philosophy. Klappentext Presents a summary of current research on the philosophical issues inherent in the reduction of thermodynamics to statistical mechanics. Zusammenfassung Statistical mechanics is one of the fundamental theories of physics! raising important philosophical questions on the nature of time! chance and reduction. This book addresses the philosophical issues inherent in the reduction of thermodynamics to statistical mechanics! compiling current research by experts in the field to create an invaluable summary. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of contributors; 1. Introduction Gerhard Ernst and Andreas Hütteman; Part I. The Arrows of Time: 2. Does a low-entropy constraint prevent us from influencing the past? Mathias Frisch; 3. The part hypothesis meets gravity Craig Callender; 4. Quantum gravity and the arrow of time Claus Kiefer; Part II. Probability and Chance: 5. The natural-range conception of probability Jacob Rosenthal; 6. Probability in Boltzmannian statistical mechanics Roman Frigg; 7. Humean mechanics versus a metaphysics of powers Michael Esfeld; Part III. Reduction: 8. The crystallisation of Clausius's phenomenological thermodynamics C. Ulises Moulines; 9. Reduction and renormalization Robert W. Batterman; 10. Irreversibility in stochastic dynamics Jos Uffink; Index.

Product details

• Authors: Gerhard Ernst, Gerhard (Dr Ernst, Gerhard Huttemann Ernst
• Assisted by: Gerhard Ernst (Editor), Gerhard (Dr Ernst (Editor), Ernst Gerhard (Editor), Andreas Huttemann (Editor), Andreas (Professor Dr Huttemann (Editor), Andreas Hüttemann (Editor)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 21.01.2010
• EAN: 9780521884013
• ISBN: 978-0-521-88401-3
• No. of pages: 218
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Physics, astronomy > General, dictionaries; SCIENCE / Physics / General, Philosophy of Science, History of Science, Statistical physics, Thermodynamics and heat