Maxwell's Demon: Entropy, Information, Computing (Princeton Series in Physics) [Hardcover]

Harvey S. Leff (Author), Andrew F. Rex (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0691087261 | ISBN-13: 978-0691087269 | Publication Date: December 1990

About 120 years ago, James Clerk Maxwell introduced his now legendary hypothetical 'demon' as a challenge to the integrity of the second law of thermodynamics. Fascination with the demon persisted throughout the development of statistical and quantum physics, information theory and computer science-and links have been established between Maxwell's demon and each of these disciplines. The demon's seductive quality makes it appealing to physical scientists, engineers, computer scientists, biologists, psychologists, and historians and philosophers of science. This book, Maxwell's Demon: Entropy, Information, Computing, brings under one cover twenty-five reprints, including seminal works by James Clerk Maxwell and William Thomson; historical reviews by Martin Klein, Edward Daub and Peter Heimann; important contributions by Leo Szilard, Leon Brillouin, Dennis Gabor and Jerome Rothstein; and remarkable innovations by Rolf Landauer and Charles Bennett. Until now this important material has been scattered throughout diverse journals. Maxwell's Demon: Entropy, Information, Computing makes the key literature easily available and helps with the cross-fertilisation of ideas in different disciplines. An annotated chronological bibliography provides a colourful perspective on Maxwell's demon and a rich trail of citations for further study. Available from Princeton University Press in the USA, Canada and Japan.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I recommend the book,
Charlton M Caves Physics World March 1991
This highly stimulating book can be strongly recommended to all physicists
P T Landsberg Nature, vol 349, 31.01.91.
This book has practically no equivalent in the available literature: it is highly recommended
F Grandjean, Physicalia, May 1991
Includes an excellent review of the thermodynamics of computation by Charles Bennett...but there is much of interest here. Recommended.
Frontiers, 1991
mmend the book,
Charlton M Caves Physics World March 1991
This highly stimulating book can be strongly recommended to all physicists
P T Landsberg Nature, vol 349, 31.01.91.
This book has practically no equivalent in the available literature: it is highly recommended
F Grandjean, Physicalia, May 1991
Includes an excellent review of the thermodynamics of computation by Charles Bennett...but there is much of interest here. Recommended.
Frontiers, 1991 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 349 pages
• Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr (December 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691087261
• ISBN-13: 978-0691087269
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,383,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent reference, February 6, 2010

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J. Mathis (Santa Fe, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Maxwell's Demon: Entropy, Information, Computing (Princeton Series in Physics) (Paperback)

This book gives a concise overview of Maxwell's Demon and it's impact on the development of thermodynamics. The book includes important original papers that were key insights into the nature of entropy.