Tag Archives: energy

Kinetic Theory, Entropy and Information Theory

This is really a continuation from the series “Thermodynamics for Mathematicians”. Our discussion then wasn’t quite complete without some justifications of the facts we used from kinetic theory of gases, in particular, we will figure out the constant c in the … Continue reading

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Thermodynamics for Mathematicians (IV)

Note: for this installation, we now require multi-variate calculus, specifically partial differentiation. 10. More State Parameters For this section, let’s consider the case of a homogeneous gas, whose state is parametrised by (P, V, N), where N is kept constant for now. … Continue reading

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Thermodynamics for Mathematicians (III)

Note: calculus, specifically integration, is essential in this article, though students can possibly just substitute it with summation to achieve the same result. In the previous installation, we defined a temperature scale by looking at the efficiency of a heat … Continue reading

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Thermodynamics for Mathematicians (II)

We continue our discussion of thermodynamics. Warning: some of the examples will involve calculus and a bit of (ordinary) differential equations. 3. Work Done by/on the System A system can do work, e. g. when a gas expands and pushes against … Continue reading

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Thermodynamics for Mathematicians (I)

“Every mathematician knows it is impossible to understand an elementary course in thermodynamics.” – V. I. Arnold. The following is the culmination of at least three attempts to understand thermodynamics at various times during the last two years. Why’s it … Continue reading

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