On the second law of thermodynamics

The key purpose of this article is to clarify the foundations of classical statistical mechanics. It is argued that the relevant concepts and laws, e.g. probability, ergodicity, entropy and the second law of thermodynamics as well as the arrow of time, all follow directly from the Gibbs-Liouville theorem in combination with the fact that any given observer of a system do not possess infinite knowledge about the initial conditions of the system. The point of view taken is thus that statistical mechanics is a theoretical framework applicable when it is not possible to determine the state of a system completely objectively. This is in contrast to classical mechanics where, by assumption, it is possible for any given observer to know the state of the system with infinite precision. For this reason, i.e. the subjectivity of the observer, the foundational concepts and laws are phrased in terms of the information possessed by the observer about the system studied

On the Gibbs-Liouville theorem in classical mechanics

In this article, it is argued that the Gibbs-Liouville theorem is a mathematical representation of the statement that closed classical systems evolve deterministically. From the perspective of an observer of the system, whose knowledge about the degrees of freedom of the system is complete, the statement of deterministic evolution is equivalent to the notion that the physical distinctions between the possible states of the system, or, in other words, the information possessed by the observer about the system, is never lost. Furthermore, it is shown that the Hamilton equations and the Hamilton principle on phase space follow directly from the differential representation of the Gibbs-Liouville theorem, i.e. that the divergence of the Hamiltonian phase flow velocity vanish. Finally, it is argued that the statements of invariance of the Poisson algebra and unitary evolution are equivalent representations of the Gibbs-Liouville theorem

Saving Originalism’s Soul

Denna studie behandlar det högaktuella området matsvinnshantering. Stora mängder mat slängs idag i onödan, vilket sätter ett stort avtryck på miljön. Studien syftar därför till att belysa detta område med fokus på livsmedelsbutiker och att kartlägga vilka aktiviteter de genomför i syfte att minimera matsvinn. Det sker ständigt ett aktivt arbete hos livsmedelsbutiker för att minimera matsvinnet. För att skapa en grundläggande förståelse presenteras teori och begrepp som är relevanta på området. Resultatet baseras sedan på fyra intervjuer hos livsmedelsbutiker i Stockholmsområdet och tidigare studier som har mätt matsvinnet i livsmedelsbutiker. De kedjor de intervjuade butikerna tillhör utgör tillsammans cirka 90 % av den svenska livsmedelsmarknaden. Utifrån resultatet av kartläggningen identifieras både begränsande faktorer och områden där förbättringspotential finns. Ett antal förbättringsförslag presenteras utifrån detta. Studien uppmärksammar även nya trender på området, som till exempel internetbaserade livsmedelsbutiker.This study deals with the highly topical area of food waste management. Today large amounts of food is thrown away unnecessarily, thus creating a big footprint on the environment. This study therefore aims to highlight this area with a focus on grocery stores and to identify what activities they perform to minimize food waste. The area is challenging and there is constant work being performed at the grocery stores to minimize this unnecessary waste. To create a foundation we present fundamental theory and concepts relevant to the area. The result is based on four interviews with chosen grocery stores in the Stockholm area and previous studies that were conducted in the same field. The food chains the interviewed stores belong to represent about 90% of the Swedish food market. Based on the results of the survey we identify both limiting factors and areas for improvement. A number of suggestions for improvement are presented on this basis. The study also draws attention to new trends in the field, such as Internet-based grocery stores

Productivity differentials and external balance in ERM II

Differences in growth, productivity and inflation levels are going to be a prominent feature of the future of EMU, as the convergence process is still ongoing in the new Member States. This convergence process can be described by the Balassa-Samuelson proposition, which states that faster growth in the traded goods sector than in the non-traded goods sector results in a rise in the price of non-traded goods and an appreciation of the trend real exchange rate. In this study, the aim is to construct a small open economy model that enables examination of the effects of Balassa-Samuelson-type growth in an intertemporal fixed exchange rate framework with a focus on the external balance. To address the well- known problems with small open economy models, an endogenous discount rate is used. The results imply that faster productivity growth in the traded than in the non-traded goods sector may induce external imbalances, leading to increased vulnerability of the economy. However, trade account deficits would appear to be a temporary phenomenon, as this line of development can be reversed by the natural shift in the composition of consumption towards nontraded goods that is characteristic of catch-up economies. In the meantime, fiscal policy plays a key role.small open economy, Balassa-Samuelson effect, ERM II, external balance

Productivity differentials and external balance in ERM II

Differences in growth, productivity and inflation levels are going to be a prominent feature of the future of EMU, as the convergence process is still on-going in the new Member States. This convergence process can be described by the Balassa-Samuelson proposition, which states that faster growth in the traded goods sector than in the non-traded goods sector results in a rise in the price of non-traded goods and an appreciation of the trend real exchange rate. In this study, the aim is to construct a small open economy model that enables examination of the effects of Balassa-Samuelson-type growth in an intertemporal fixed exchange rate framework with a focus on the external balance. To address the well-known problems with small open economy models, an endogenous discount rate is used. The results imply that faster productivity growth in the traded than in the non-traded goods sector may induce external imbalances, leading to increased vulnerability of the economy. However, trade account deficits would appear to be a temporary phenomenon, as this line of development can be reversed by the natural shift in the composition of consumption towards non-traded goods that is characteristic of catch-up economies. In the meantime, fiscal policy plays a key role.small open economy; Balassa-Samuelson effect; ERM II; external balance

"1kF1k_F" Singularities and Finite Density ABJM Theory at Strong Coupling

We study non-analytic behavior in the static charge susceptibility in finite density states of the ABJM theory using its holographic dual. Emphasis is placed on a particular state characterized by vanishing entropy density at zero temperature, and Fermi surface-like singularities in various fermionic correlation functions. The susceptibility exhibits branch points in the complex momentum plane, with a real part quantitatively very similar to the location of the Fermi surface singularities.Comment: 29 pages, 5 figures; v2: Minor additions to overview and discussion, some references added, version to appear in JHE