Entropy : a very short introduction / James Binney.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Binney, James, 1950- author.

Series:

Very short introductions

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Entropy.

entropy.

Physical Description:

xx, 107 pages : illustrations ; 18 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, [2025]

Summary:

"Until the middle of the nineteenth century entropy and energy were confused with one another. The intellectual fog slowly cleared and now these words name subtle and powerful concepts. Most people think they know what energy is, but few could define entropy. This Very Short Introduction traces the emergence of entropy and energy as distinct concepts, and explains how entropy spread from thermodynamics into statistical mechanics, probability theory and data science. It explains the implications of entropy for heat pumps, solar cells, carbon capture, and liquified natural gas. Quantum mechanics and gravity open new horizons for entropy, and when combined in the quantum theory of black holes, they call into question our current understanding of material reality." -- Provided by publisher

Contents:

The age of confusion

Thermodynamics arrives

Entropy and the energy transition

The mechanics of entropy

The principle of maximum entropy

Image reconstruction

Entropy and quantum mechanics

Entropy and gravity

Wrapping up

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (101-103) and index

ISBN:

9780198901488

0198901488

OCLC:

1492857343

Publisher Number:

CIPO000267525