Talk:H-theorem

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[edit] Origin of the H formula ?

how did boltzmann come up with his definition for H? (Yosofun 06:42, 12 Apr 2005 (UTC))

[edit] Fluctuation theorem

I'm cutting the following line:

The final resolution of the time reversibility paradox is found in the Fluctuation Theorem.

There is stuff which could be said about the Fluctuation Theorem as a modern generalisation of work on the prediction of entropy increase.

But the FT has nothing to say about the Arrow of time, because, like Boltzmann's H-theorem, the entropy increase it predicts so well arises because one assumes one can ignore correlations and similar 'hidden information' at times after the initial time. If you start with a non-equilibrium state and try to use the Fluctuation Theorem to predict backwards how that non-equilibrium state came to be, it will predict that it arose spontaneously as a fluctuation from an equilibium state -- because those are the only possibilities it knows about.

The cause of time asymmetry in the observed universe must be looked for elsewhere. Jheald 12:28, 21 October 2005 (UTC)