The infinite limit as an eliminable approximation for phase transitions - Archive ouverte HAL
Article Dans Une Revue Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics Année : 2018

The infinite limit as an eliminable approximation for phase transitions

Résumé

It is generally claimed that infinite idealizations are required for explaining phase transitions within statistical mechanics (e.g., Batterman 2011). Nevertheless, Menon and Callender (2013) have outlined theoretical approaches that describe phase transitions without using the infinite limit. This paper closely investigates one of these approaches, which consists of studying the complex zeros of the partition function (Borrmann et al. 2000). Based on this theory, we argue for the plausibility for eliminating the infinite limit for studying phase transitions. We offer a new account for phase transitions in finite systems, and we argue for the use of the infinite limit as an approximation for studying phase transitions in large systems.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
The_infinite_limit_as_an_eliminable_appr.pdf (2.46 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s)
Loading...

Dates et versions

hal-01917720 , version 1 (09-11-2018)

Identifiants

Citer

Vincent Ardourel. The infinite limit as an eliminable approximation for phase transitions. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 2018, 62, pp.71-84. ⟨10.1016/j.shpsb.2017.06.002⟩. ⟨hal-01917720⟩
92 Consultations
291 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

More