Article ID: CBB000410822

Foundations of Statistical Mechanics: Two Approaches (2003)

unapi

This paper is a discussion of David Albert's approach to the foundations of classical statistical mechanics. I point out a respect in which his account makes a stronger claim about the statistical mechanical probabilities than is usually made, and I suggest what might be motivation for this. I outline a less radical approach, which I attribute to Boltzmann, and I give some reasons for thinking that this approach is all we need, and also the most we are likely to get. The issue between the two accounts turns out to be one about the explanatory role probabilities play in statistical mechanics.

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https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB000410822/

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Authors & Contributors
Hemmo, Meir
Rogers, David M.
Uffink, Jos
Tavel, Morton
Stöltzner, Michael
Shenker, Orly R.
Concepts
Physics
Statistical mechanics
Probability and statistics
Philosophy of science
Quantum mechanics
Philosophy
Time Periods
19th century
20th century
20th century, early
Modern
21st century
20th century, late
Places
Germany
Austria
Vienna (Austria)
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