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arXiv · 2404.01978

Irreversibility as divergence from equilibrium

David Andrieux
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Abstract

The entropy production is commonly interpreted as measuring the distance from equilibrium. However, this explanation lacks a rigorous description due to the absence of a natural equilibrium measure. The present analysis formalizes this interpretation by expressing the entropy production of a Markov system as a divergence with respect to particular equilibrium dynamics. These equilibrium dynamics correspond to the closest reversible systems in the information-theoretic sense. This result yields novel links between nonequilibrium thermodynamics and information geometry.

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David Andrieux. 2024-04-02. Irreversibility as divergence from equilibrium. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10955-025-03528-4

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