Maxwell's demon and impossibility statements: Einstein on perpetuum mobile of the second kind

TL;DR

This paper explores Einstein's views on Maxwell's demon, emphasizing his focus on impossibility statements in thermodynamics and relativity, and reviews the historical development and implications of the thought experiment.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of Einstein's perspective on Maxwell's demon and the role of impossibility statements in physics, linking thermodynamics and relativity.

Findings

Einstein associated Maxwell's demon with perpetual motion of the second kind.

He emphasized that no faster-than-light signals or perpetual motion machines are possible.

Einstein's discussions highlight the importance of impossibility statements in physical theories.

Abstract

This paper discusses Maxwell's demon thought experiment. In recent years, there has been extensive research on Maxwell's demon. I first provide a detailed overview of important historical milestones of Maxwell's demon thought experiment. Einstein would often write about both relativity and thermodynamics. In this paper, I first argue that: 1. Einstein spoke of Perpetuum mobile of the second kind (a Maxwell's demon) in the context of the discovery of his relativity theory, the famous chasing a light beam thought experiment, and the contraction of lengths. 2. He would often compare relativity with thermodynamics. 3. When doing so, he would say that perpetual motion machines cannot exist. In the same category, no signal transmission faster than light is possible. 4. Einstein's approach in speaking of the principles of thermodynamics and relativity suggests that he was occupied with "impossibility statements". After discussing the essential aspects of Maxwell's demon and the different ways of excorcising the demon, I examine the role of "impossibility statements" in Maxwell's demon thought experiment.