Elementary principles in statistical mechanics developed with especial reference to the rational foundation of thermodynamics / by J. Willard Gibbs.

Abstract

Preface 1. General notions. The principle of conservation of extension-in-phase 2. Application of the principle of conservation of extension-in-phase to the theory of errors 3. Application of the principle of conservation of extension-in-phase to the integration of the differential equations of motion 4. On the distribution-in-phase called canonical, in which the index of probability is a linear function of the energy 5. Average values in a canonical ensemble of systems 6. Extension-in-configuration and extension-in-velocity 7. Farther discussion of averages in a canonical ensemble of systems 8. On certain important functions of the energies of a system 9. The function PHI and the canonical distribution 10. On a distribution in phase called microcanonical in which all the systems have the same energy 11. Maximum and minimum properties of various distributions in phase 12. On the motion of systems and ensembles of systems through long periods of time 13. Effect of various processes on an ensemble of systems 14. Discussion of thermodynamic analogies 15. Systems composed of molecules.