Entropy, Carnot Cycle and Information Theory, Part 2
This second part of this companion paper the Carnot cycle is analyzed trying to investigate the similarities and differences between a framework related to thermodynamics and one related to information theory. The parametric Schrodinger equations are the starting point for the framing. In the thermodynamics frame, a new interpretation of the free energy in the isothermal expansion and a new interpretation of the entropy in the adiabatic phase are highlighted. The same Schrodinger equations are then applied in an information theory framework. Again, it is shown that a cycle can be constructed with a diagram that presents the Lagrange parameter and the average codeword length as coordinates. In this case the adiabatic phase consists of a transcoding operation and the cycle as a whole shows a positive or negative balance of information. In conclusion, the Carnot cycle continues to be a source of knowledge of complex systems in which entropy plays a central role.
Authors
- M. Martinelli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6551-9979)
Institutions
- Politecnico di Milano (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Entropy
- Published
- 2025-05-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/e27050493
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00