Contents Preface xiii Acknowledgements xvi 1 Entropy and the Second Law 1.1 Early Thermodynamics..................................1 1.2 The Second Law:Twenty-One Formulations .............3 1.3 Entropy:Twenty-One Varieties ........................ 13 1.4 Nonequilibrium Entropy ............................... 23 1.5 Entropy and the Second Law:Discussion .............. 26 1.6 Zeroth and Third Laws of Thermodynamics ............27 References 30 2 Challenges (1870-1980) 2.1 Maxwell's Demon and Other Victorian Devils ..........35 2.2 Exorcising Demons .................................... 39 2.2.1 Smoluchowski and Brillouin ......................39 2.2.2 Szilard Engine ................................... 40 2.2.3 Self-Rectifying Diodes ........................... 41 2.3 Inviolability Arguments............. .42 2.3.1 Early Classical Arguments..... 43 2.3.2 Modern Classical Arguments ............. 44 2.4 Candidate Second Law Challenges ............ 48 References 51 3 Modern Quantum Challenges:Theory 3.1 Prolegomenon..·· 53Contents Preface xiii Acknowledgements xvi 1 Entropy and the Second Law 1.1 Early Thermodynamics .................................. 1 1.2 The Second Law: Twenty-One Formulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1.3 Entropy: Twenty-One Varieties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 1.4 Nonequilibrium Entropy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 1.5 Entropy and the Second Law: Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 1.6 Zeroth and Third Laws of Thermodynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 References 30 2 Challenges (1870-1980) 2.1 Maxwell’s Demon and Other Victorian Devils . . . . . . . . . . . 35 2.2 Exorcising Demons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 2.2.1 Smoluchowski and Brillouin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 2.2.2 Szilard Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 2.2.3 Self-Rectifying Diodes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 2.3 Inviolability Arguments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 2.3.1 Early Classical Arguments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 2.3.2 Modern Classical Arguments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 2.4 Candidate Second Law Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 References 51 3 Modern Quantum Challenges: Theory 3.1 Prolegomenon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53