A lower bound for topological entropy of generic non Anosov symplectic diffeomorphisms

We prove that a $C^1-$generic symplectic diffeomorphism is either Anosov or the topological entropy is bounded from below by the supremum over the smallest positive Lyapunov exponent of the periodic points. We also prove that $C^1-$generic symplectic diffeomorphisms outside the Anosov ones do not admit symbolic extension and finally we give examples of volume preserving diffeomorphisms which are not point of upper semicontinuity of entropy function in $C^1-$topology

Mechanical Proof of the Second Law of Thermodynamics Based on Volume Entropy

In a previous work (M. Campisi. Stud. Hist. Phil. M. P. 36 (2005) 275-290) we have addressed the mechanical foundations of equilibrium thermodynamics on the basis of the Generalized Helmholtz Theorem. It was found that the volume entropy provides a good mechanical analogue of thermodynamic entropy because it satisfies the heat theorem and it is an adiabatic invariant. This property explains the ``equal'' sign in Clausius principle ($S_f \geq S_i$) in a purely mechanical way and suggests that the volume entropy might explain the ``larger than'' sign (i.e. the Law of Entropy Increase) if non adiabatic transformations were considered. Based on the principles of microscopic (quantum or classical) mechanics here we prove that, provided the initial equilibrium satisfy the natural condition of decreasing ordering of probabilities, the expectation value of the volume entropy cannot decrease for arbitrary transformations performed by some external sources of work on a insulated system. This can be regarded as a rigorous quantum mechanical proof of the Second Law. We discuss how this result relates to the Minimal Work Principle and improves over previous attempts. The natural evolution of entropy is towards larger values because the natural state of matter is at positive temperature. Actually the Law of Entropy Decrease holds in artificially prepared negative temperature systems.Comment: 17 pages, 1 figur

Entropy of gravitating systems: scaling laws versus radial profiles

Through the consideration of spherically symmetric gravitating systems consisting of perfect fluids with linear equation of state constrained to be in a finite volume, an account is given of the properties of entropy at conditions in which it is no longer an extensive quantity (it does not scale with system's size). To accomplish this, the methods introduced by Oppenheim [1] to characterize non-extensivity are used, suitably generalized to the case of gravitating systems subject to an external pressure. In particular when, far from the system's Schwarzschild limit, both area scaling for conventional entropy and inverse radius law for the temperature set in (i.e. the same properties of the corresponding black hole thermodynamical quantities), the entropy profile is found to behave like 1/r, being r the area radius inside the system. In such circumstances thus entropy heavily resides in internal layers, in opposition to what happens when area scaling is gained while approaching the Schwarzschild mass, in which case conventional entropy lies at the surface of the system. The information content of these systems, even if it globally scales like the area, is then stored in the whole volume, instead of packed on the boundary.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures. v2: addition of some references; the stability of equilibrium configurations is readdresse