Identity and indistinguishability in thermal physics

Wills, James (2022) Identity and indistinguishability in thermal physics. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Abstract

This thesis proposes mathematically precise analyses of the concepts of identity and indistinguishability and explores their physical consequences in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. I begin by exploring the philosophical consequences of the geometric formulation of thermodynamics, well-known to many mathematicians. Based on this, I offer novel accounts of what it means to be a thermodynamic system and what it means to be a composite system. I then use these mathematical tools to offer new and precise definitions of ‘mixture’ and ‘identity’ in thermodynamics. These analyses allow me to propose a novel resolution of Gibbs’ paradox. Finally, I offer a new definition of indistinguishability in statistical mechanics with a view to offering a new resolution of Gibbs’ paradox in statistical mechanics (the N! problem). My analysis highlights the importance of observables in the foundations of statistical theories. 3

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	© 2022 James Wills
Library of Congress subject classification:	Q Science > QC Physics
Sets:	Departments > Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
URI:	http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/4572

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