The generalized second law of thermodynamics in generalized gravity theories

We investigate the generalized second law of thermodynamics (GSL) in generalized theories of gravity. We examine the total entropy evolution with time including the horizon entropy, the non-equilibrium entropy production, and the entropy of all matter, field and energy components. We derive a universal condition to protect the generalized second law and study its validity in different gravity theories. In Einstein gravity, (even in the phantom-dominated universe with a Schwarzschild black hole), Lovelock gravity, and braneworld gravity, we show that the condition to keep the GSL can always be satisfied. In $f(R)$ gravity and scalar-tensor gravity, the condition to protect the GSL can also hold because the gravity is always attractive and the effective Newton constant should be approximate constant satisfying the experimental bounds.Comment: 19 pages, no figure, mistakes corrected, references added, to appear in Class. Quantum Gra

Entropy and quantum gravity

We give a review, in the style of an essay, of the author's 1998 matter-gravity entanglement hypothesis which, unlike the standard approach to entropy based on coarse-graining, offers a definition for the entropy of a closed system as a real and objective quantity. We explain how this approach offers an explanation for the Second Law of Thermodynamics in general and a non-paradoxical understanding of information loss during black hole formation and evaporation in particular. It also involves a radically different from usual description of black hole equilibrium states in which the total state of a black hole in a box together with its atmosphere is a pure state -- entangled in just such a way that the reduced state of the black hole and of its atmosphere are each separately approximately thermal. We also briefly recall some recent work of the author which involves a reworking of the string-theory understanding of black hole entropy consistent with this alternative description of black hole equilibrium states and point out that this is free from some unsatisfactory features of the usual string theory understanding. We also recall the author's recent arguments based on this alternative description which suggest that the AdS/CFT correspondence is a bijection between the boundary CFT and just the matter degrees of freedom of the bulk theory.Comment: 15 pages. Considerably enlarged. 3 figures and many references added. Also published in the recent special issue "Entropy in Quantum Gravity and Quantum Cosmology" (ed. Remo Garattini) of the online journal "Entropy". (Note: that journal version will soon be replaced with an updated version where some typesetting errors are corrected. This arXiv version is also free from those errors.

Holography and Entropy Bounds in Gauss-Bonnet Gravity

We discuss the holography and entropy bounds in Gauss-Bonnet gravity theory. By applying a Geroch process to an arbitrary spherically symmetric black hole, we show that the Bekenstein entropy bound always keeps its form as $S_{\rm B}=2\pi E R$, independent of gravity theories. As a result, the Bekenstein-Verlinde bound also remains unchanged. Along the Verlinde's approach, we obtain the Bekenstein-Hawking bound and Hubble bound, which are different from those in Einstein gravity. Furthermore, we note that when $HR=1$, the three cosmological entropy bounds become identical as in the case of Einstein gravity. But, the Friedmann equation in Gauss-Bonnet gravity can no longer be cast to the form of cosmological Cardy formula.Comment: 8 pages, Late

On entanglement entropy functionals in higher derivative gravity theories

In arXiv:1310.5713 and arXiv:1310.6659 a formula was proposed as the entanglement entropy functional for a general higher-derivative theory of gravity, whose lagrangian consists of terms containing contractions of the Riemann tensor. In this paper, we carry out some tests of this proposal. First, we find the surface equation of motion for general four-derivative gravity theory by minimizing the holographic entanglement entropy functional resulting from this proposed formula. Then we calculate the surface equation for the same theory using the generalized gravitational entropy method of arXiv:1304.4926. We find that the two do not match in their entirety. We also construct the holographic entropy functional for quasi-topological gravity, which is a six-derivative gravity theory. We find that this functional gives the correct universal terms. However, as in the four-derivative case, the generalized gravitational entropy method applied to this theory does not give exactly the surface equation of motion coming from minimizing the entropy functional.Comment: 34 pages; v3: Details added, typos fixed, references updated; version to appear in JHE