Information Loss as a Foundational Principle for the Second Law of Thermodynamics

TL;DR

This paper proposes that the second law of thermodynamics fundamentally arises from the loss of information, emphasizing the role of information dynamics alongside energy dynamics in understanding statistical mechanics.

Contribution

It advances the perspective that the second law is rooted in information loss, distinguishing it from traditional energy-based explanations and clarifying foundational issues.

Findings

Information loss underpins the second law

Separates information dynamics from energy dynamics

Resolves foundational confusions in statistical mechanics

Abstract

In a previous paper [1] we considered the question, "What underlying property of nature is responsible for the second law?" A simple answer can be stated in terms of information: The fundamental loss of information gives rise to the second law. This line of thinking highlights the existence of two independent but coupled sets of laws: Information dynamics and energy dynamics. The distinction helps shed light on certain foundational questions in statistical mechanics. For example, the confusion surrounding previous "derivations" of the second law from energy dynamics can be resolved by noting that such derivations incorporate one or more assumptions that correspond to the loss of information. In this paper we further develop and explore the perspective in which the second law is fundamentally a law of information dynamics.