1st Edition
Maxwell's Demon 2 Entropy, Classical and Quantum Information, Computing
Over 130 years ago, James Clerk Maxwell introduced his hypothetical "demon" as a challenge to the scope of the second law of thermodynamics. Fascination with the demon persisted throughout the development of statistical and quantum physics, information theory, and computer science, and links have been established between Maxwell's demon and each of these disciplines. The demon's seductive quality makes it appealing to physical scientists, engineers, computer scientists, biologists, psychologists, and historians and philosophers of science.
Since the publication of Maxwell's Demon: Entropy, Information, Computing in 1990, Maxwell's demon has been the subject of renewed and increased interest by numerous researchers in the fields mentioned above. Updated and expanded, Maxwell's Demon 2: Entropy, Classical and Quantum Information, Computing retains many of the seminal papers that appeared in the first edition, including the original thoughts of James Clerk Maxwell and William Thomson; a historical review by Martin Klein; and key articles by Leo Szilard, Leon Brillouin, Rolf Landauer, and Charles Bennett that led to new branches of research on the demon. This second edition contains newer articles by Landauer, Bennett, and others, related to Landauer's principle; connections with quantum mechanics; algorithmic information; and the thermodynamics and limits of computation. The book also includes two separate bibliographies: an alphabetical listing by author and a chronological bibliography that is annotated by the editors and contains selected quotes from the books and articles listed. The bibliography has more than doubled in size since publication of the first edition and now contains over 570 entries.
Introduction.
The Demon and Its Properties.
Szilard's Model: Entropy and Information Acquisition
Information Acquisition via Light Signals: A Temporary Resolution
Computers and Erasure of Information: A New Resolution
Other Aspects of Maxwell's Demon
EARLY HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Thomson, W. (1874): The kinetic theory of the dissipation of energy
Daub, E.E. (1970) Maxwell's demon
Klein, M.J. (1970): Maxwell, his demon, and the second law of thermodynamics
Brillouin, L. (1949): Life, thermodynamics, and cybernetics
Rothstein, J. (1951): Information, measurement, and quantum mechanics
SMOLUCHOWSKI TRAP DOORS AND INFORMATION ACQUISITION
Skordos, P.A., and Zurek, W.H. (1992): Maxwell's demon, rectifiers, and the second law: Computer simulation of Smoluchowski's trapdoor
Rex, A.F., and Larsen, R. (1992): Entropy and information for an automated Maxwell's demon
Szilard, L. (1929): On the decrease of entropy in a thermodynamic system by the intervention of intelligent beings
Brillouin, L. (1951): Maxwell's demon cannot operate: Information and entropy I
Jauch, J.M. & Byron, J.G. (1972): Entropy, information and Szilard's paradox
Costa de Beauregard, O. & Tribus, M. (1974): Information theory and thermodynamics
INFORMATION ERASURE: LANDAUER'S PRINCIPLE
Landauer, R. (1961): Irreversibility and heat generation in the computing process
Leff, H.S. and Rex, A.F. (1994): Entropy of measurement and erasure: Szilard's membrane model revisited
Shizume, K (1995): Heat generation required by erasure
Piechocinska, B (2000): Information erasure
QUANTUM NUANCES
Zurek, W.H. (1984): Maxwell's demon, Szilard's engine and quantum measurements
Lubkin, E. (1987): Keeping the entropy of measurement: Szilard revisited
Lloyd, S. (1989): Use of mutual information to decrease entropy: Implications for the second law of thermodynamics
Lloyd, S. (1997): Quantum-mechanical Maxwell's demon
Vedral, V. (2000): Landauer's erasure, error correction and entanglement.
ALGORITHMIC INFORMATION
Caves, C.M. (1993): Information and entropy
Schack, R. (1997): Algorithmic information and simplicity in statistical physics
Zurek, W.H. (1999): Algorithmic randomness, physical entropy, measurements, and the demon of choice
COMPUTATION: THERMODYNAMICS AND LIMITS
Bennett, C.H. (1982): The thermodynamics of computation: a review
Landauer, R. (1987): Computation: A fundamental physical view
Bennett, C. H. (1988): Notes on the history of reversible computation
Landauer, R. (1996): The physical nature of information
Landauer, R. (1996): Minimal energy requirements in communication
Bennett, C.H. (1998): Information physics in cartoons
Gershenfeld, N. (1996): Signal entropy and the thermodynamics of computation
Lloyd, S. (2000): Ultimate physical limits to computation
"MD2 is an excellent presentation of the dominant approach to the Demon in recent years. It is the second, greatly revised, edition of a collection that appeared in 1990 (hereafter MD1) and contributed significantly to the Demon's recent popularity. Let me conclude by highly recommending MD2 as an introduction to mainstream Demonology: its introduction is a very good outline of this approach, the reprinted articles are among the most influential in their fields, and the comprehensive annotated bibliography is a tool without which-since MD1 came out in 1990-work in the field can hardly be imagined."
-Orly R. Shenker, Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, Volume 35, Issue 3
