The enigma of irreversibility and the interplay between Physics, Mathematics and Philosophy

Abstract

The problem of reconciling a reversible micro-dynamics with the second law of thermodynamics has been a scientific and conceptual challenge for centuries and it continues to animate heated debate even today. In my opinion, one key point lays in the interrelation between the physical, the mathematical and the philosophical aspects of the problem. In many treatments those domains of knowledge dangerously mix, generating confusion and misunderstanding. In this short work I will show how disentangling these three domains for the problem at hand will give a better understanding of the enigma of irreversibility and opens up possibility for future research.

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References found in this work

Time and chance.David Z. Albert - 2000 - Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Time and Chance.S. French - 2005 - Mind 114 (453):113-116.
Boltzmann's H-theorem, its discontents, and the birth of statistical mechanics.Harvey R. Brown, Wayne Myrvold & Jos Uffink - 2009 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 40 (2):174-191.

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