Entropy (and others Thermodynamical Potentials) in Statistical Mechanics: its uses and misuses

Giovanni Ciccotti
Department of Physics
University of Roma “La Sapienza”
Rome, Italy

The (only real) meaning of Entropy (and others Thermodynamical Potentials) in Statistical Mechanics is that of a probability measure from which all observable properties follow as either moments of that probability measure or reduced/marginal/conditional probabilities derived from it. On that basis we can discuss and clarify few misconceptions originated by approximate (more verbal than rigorous) definitions of Entropy (Entropy vs Order/Disorder).

split_2021_auggc.pdf