On the Properties of Monocyclic Systems, and others related to them
Translation of Ludwig Boltzmann's paper "Über die Eigenschaften monozyklischer und anderer damit verwandter Systeme" Crelles Journal 98. S. 68-94. 1884 u. 1885 from German into English. In this foundational paper Boltzmann introduced two key concepts into statistical mechanics. The first is the statistical ensemble. This includes what are now known as the micro-canonical and canonical ensembles, albeit under different names. The second is the concept of ergodic systems, or ergodicity, which has played an important if contentious part in the foundations of statistical mechanics.
physics.hist-ph↗