# The Lucky Engine: Probabilistic Emergence and Persistence of Near-Maximum Dissipation States

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new framework to understand how systems near maximum dissipation states emerge and persist under various physical constraints.

## Contribution

The paper proposes a paradigm that resolves key issues with maximum entropy production by considering multiple transport modes and their combinations.

## Key findings

- Physical constraints define the set of transport modes a system can use, preventing impossible states.
- Near-maximum dissipation states are more probable due to the higher number of quasi-steady microstates.
- The framework explains when systems can reach maximum versus minimum dissipation states.

## Abstract

A paradigm, wherein a nonequilibrium system has multiple modes of transport that can act in combination, permits the resolution of several difficulties with the notion of maximum entropy production (MaxEP or MEP). First, physical constraints, such as the density of the atmosphere or the planetary rotation rate, merely define the portfolio of modes that can be engaged by the system: physically impossible states cannot be selected. Second, with minimal sensitivity to how the system evolves, it is seen that there are simply more numerous quasi-steady microstates (combinations of modes) that are near the maximum of work output (or dissipation rate or EP) than there are far from it, and so it is more probable that the system will be observed to be near that maximum. Third, this paradigm naturally permits exploration of the system behavior when subjected to non-steady forcing. Finally, it provides a framework to explain when a system has ‘enough’ degrees of freedom to attain a maximum dissipation state, as opposed to the minimum dissipation state expected for certain constrained systems.