The entropy of mixing and assimilation: An information-theoretical perspective

Arieh Ben-Naim*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

It is claimed that the quantity -k∑xi, In xi, the so-called "entropy of mixing," has nothing to do with the mixing process, and that, contrary to the accepted view, mixing is not an irreversible process. Instead, the process of deassimilation is introduced, and it is shown that it is an inherently irreversible process. The information-theoretical perspective of these statements is discussed for classical and quantum-mechanical systems of noninteracting particles.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1126-1135
Number of pages10
JournalAmerican Journal of Physics
Volume74
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2006

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The entropy of mixing and assimilation: An information-theoretical perspective'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this