Customer Reviews

E.T. Jaynes: Papers on Probability, Statistics and Statistical Physics (Synthese Library)

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Jaynes's approach to statistical mechanics is so simple and convincing you won't be needing ergodic theory anymore to justify ensamble avrages after you'll finish this book. after making his contribution to statistical mechanics Jaynes turns to probability theory and attacks the (usual) random variable approach, claiming a new basis for probability theory is both avaliable and needed . I recomend to start reading this book with the article from the brandis lecture and than to proceed to the article "where do we stand on maximum entropy" where jaynes wittily answers the criticism raised upon his analysis of the "dice problem" (presented in the brandis lecture). A true classic for anyone interested in statistical physics and probability theory.

ET Jaynes revolutionized our understanding of equilibrium statistical mechanics, in his famous 1957 Phys Rev papers reprinted in this volume. What makes this collection of his papers such a treasure trove is one sees the evolution of his thinking on non-equilibrium statistical dynamics, culminating in a deep, profound chapter 14 on the minimum entropy production principle.