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Readings

• Notes, Chapter 11: Energy (PDF)
• Lloyd, Seth. "Quantum-Mechanical Computers." Scientific American 273 (October 1995): 44-49.

Assignments

• Problem Set 10 (PDF)
• Problem Set 10 Solutions (PDF)

Resources

Technical

Seminal papers on the Principle of Maximum Entropy by Edwin T. Jaynes (July 5, 1922 - April 30, 1998):

• Jaynes, E. T. "Information Theory and Statistical Mechanics." Physical Review 106 (May 15, 1957): 620-630. (PDF - 2.1 MB)^# (PS - 2.5 MB)
  This paper started the use of the Principle of Maximum Entropy in physics.
• ———. "Information Theory and Statistical Mechanics II." Physical Review 108 (October 15, 1957): 171-190. (PDF - 3.8 MB)^# (PS - 4.5 MB)
  Continuation of the previous reference.
• The philosophy of assuming maximum uncertainty is discussed in Chapter 3 of Tribus, M. Thermostatics and Thermodynamics. Princeton, NJ: D. Van Nostrand Co, Inc., 1961.
• Another good explanation, in terms of estimating probabilities of an unfair die is in Jaynes, E. T. "Information Theory and Statistical Mechanics." In Statistical Physics. Brandeis Summer Institute 1962. New York, NY: W. A. Benjamin, Inc., 1963. pp. 181-218. (PDF)^# (PS - 1.1 MB)
• Personal history by Jaynes, Edwin T. "Where Do We Stand on Maximum Entropy?" In The Maximum Entropy Formalism. Edited by Raphael D. Levine and Myron Tribus. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1978. pp. 15-118. ISBN: 9780262120807. (PDF - 2.5 MB)^# (PS - 3.2 MB)

Historical

• Joseph-Louis Lagrange biography
• Biography of Ludwig Boltzmann, Austrian physicist, 1844-1906, who was a pioneer in thermodynamics and entropy, is Cercignani, Carlo. Ludwig Boltzmann, The Man Who Trusted Atoms. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780198570646.
• On Boltzmann's tombstone (closeup) is the formula for entropy "S = k log W"
• Ludwig Boltzmann biography
• Another Ludwig Boltzmann biography
• History of the twisted and convoluted development of the difficult concept of entropy, Truesdell, C. The Tragicomical History of Thermodynamics, 1822 - 1854. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag, 1980. ISBN: 9780387904030. Professor Truesdell died January 14, 2000 at the age of 80. He retired from the faculty at Johns Hopkins University in 1989.
• Edwin T. Jaynes biography, photograph, bibliography

Books

There are many textbooks on thermodynamics and energy conversion.

• Silbey, R., R. Alberty, and M. Bawendi. Physical Chemistry. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 2004. ISBN: 9780471215042.
  These authors are from MIT. Alberty was formerly Dean of Science, and Silbey was until recently Dean of Science. It's amazing that anyone can be a Dean and still keep up with science.
• Typical excellent book in a traditional style, Zemansky, Mark W. Heat and Thermodynamics. 3rd ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1951, or earlier editions starting in 1937.
  This book does not mention information, and starts with assumed knowledge about temperature, pressure, and volume. Suitable for advanced undergraduates.
• Introductory book, used for sophomores, covering classical thermodynamics (no information), Van Ness, H. C. Understanding Thermodynamics. New York, NY: Dover Publications, 1969.
  Succinct and carefully crafted treatment.
• Book covering both equilibrium and irreversible thermodynamics, Callen, Herbert B. Thermodynamics. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1962.
• Careful treatment of classical thermodynamics (no mention of information) with emphasis on the mathematical formalism, Truesdell, C. Rational Thermodynamics. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1969.
  Suitable for graduate courses, for those with some prior exposure to thermodynamics.
• Textbook developed at MIT in energy conversion (no thermodynamics), White, David C., and Herbert H. Woodson. Electromechanical Energy Conversion. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1959.
• An early textbook to use the Principle of Maximum Entropy as an approach to thermodynamics is Tribus, M. Thermostatics and Thermodynamics. Princeton, NJ: D. Van Nostrand Co, Inc., 1961.

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