Entropy, Macroscopic Information, and Phase Transitions

TL;DR

This paper reviews the connection between entropy and information, emphasizing how macroscopic degrees of freedom like order parameters relate to phase transitions and symmetry breaking, highlighting parallels with Maxwell's demon scenarios.

Contribution

It clarifies the relationship between entropy and information in phase transitions, especially in systems with spontaneous symmetry breaking, linking these concepts to Maxwell demon problems.

Findings

Entropy and information are fundamentally linked in symmetry breaking.

Maxwell demon problems are relevant to phase transition scenarios.

Macroscopic degrees of freedom encode information in phase transitions.

Abstract

The relationship between entropy and information is reviewed, taking into account that information is stored in macroscopic degrees of freedom, such as the order parameter in a system exhibiting spontaneous symmetry breaking. It is shown that most problems of the relationship between entropy and information, embodied in a variety of Maxwell demons, are also present in any symmetry breaking transition.