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2020

Memory and entropy

Rovelli, Carlo

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I study the physical nature of traces (or memories).

Surprisingly, (i) systems separation with (ii) temperature differences and (iii) long thermalization times, are sufficient conditions to produce macroscopic traces.
Traces of the past are ubiquitous because these conditions are largely satisfied in our universe.
I quantify these thermodynamical conditions for memory and derive an expression for the maximum amount of information stored in such memories, as a function of the relevant thermodynamical parameters.

Memory and entropy · Around

Built on

Albert Einstein, Richard Tolman, Boris Podolsky, ‘Knowledge of past and future in quantum mechanics’
1931
Earlier work this paper cites.
David H Wolpert, ‘Memory systems, computation, and the second law of thermodynamics’
1992
Earlier work this paper cites.
Hans Reichenbach, The direction of time , Dover, 1999
1999
Earlier work this paper cites.

Similar

David Z Albert, ‘The Difference between the Past and the Future’
2015
Cited alongside, same era.
Carlo Rovelli, ‘An argument against the realistic interpretation of the wave function’
Original
2016
Cited alongside, same era.

Then

Carlo Rovelli, The Order of Time , Riverhead, 2018
2018
Later among the works it cites.
Carlo Rovelli. ‘Where was past low-entropy?’
Original
2019
Later among the works it cites.

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