scholarly journals Natural selection for least action

2008 ◽  
Vol 464 (2099) ◽  
pp. 3055-3070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ville R.I Kaila ◽  
Arto Annila
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Shortest Paths ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Integral Form ◽  
Second Law ◽  
Least Action ◽  
The Past ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Principle Of Least Action ◽  
Selection For

The second law of thermodynamics is a powerful imperative that has acquired several expressions during the past centuries. Connections between two of its most prominent forms, i.e. the evolutionary principle by natural selection and the principle of least action, are examined. Although no fundamentally new findings are provided, it is illuminating to see how the two principles rationalizing natural motions reconcile to one law. The second law, when written as a differential equation of motion, describes evolution along the steepest descents in energy and, when it is given in its integral form, the motion is pictured to take place along the shortest paths in energy. In general, evolution is a non-Euclidian energy density landscape in flattening motion.

scholarly journals Constructal Theory: From Engineering to Physics, and How Flow Systems Develop Shape and Structure

2006 ◽  
Vol 59 (5) ◽  
pp. 269-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Heitor Reis
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Optimization Method ◽  
Constructal Theory ◽  
Second Law ◽  
Internal Flows ◽  
Least Action ◽  
Principle Of Least Action ◽  
Constructal Law ◽  
Engineered Systems

Constructal theory and its applications to various fields ranging from engineering to natural living and inanimate systems, and to social organization and economics, are reviewed in this paper. The constructal law states that if a system has freedom to morph it develops in time the flow architecture that provides easier access to the currents that flow through it. It is shown how constructal theory provides a unifying picture for the development of flow architectures in systems with internal flows (e.g., mass, heat, electricity, goods, and people). Early and recent works on constructal theory by various authors covering the fields of heat and mass transfer in engineered systems, inanimate flow structures (river basins, global circulations) living structures, social organization, and economics are reviewed. The relation between the constructal law and the thermodynamic optimization method of entropy generation minimization is outlined. The constructal law is a self-standing principle, which is distinct from the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The place of the constructal law among other fundamental principles, such as the Second Law, the principle of least action and the principles of symmetry and invariance is also presented. The review ends with the epistemological and philosophical implications of the constructal law.

scholarly journals In the light of time

2009 ◽  
Vol 465 (2104) ◽  
pp. 1173-1198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petri Tuisku ◽  
Tuomas K Pernu ◽  
Arto Annila
Keyword(s):  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Space Time ◽  
Causal Chain ◽  
Least Action ◽  
Energy Gradient ◽  
Principle Of Least Action ◽  
Expansion Of The Universe ◽  
Flow Of Time ◽  
The Universe

The concept of time is examined using the second law of thermodynamics that was recently formulated as an equation of motion. According to the statistical notion of increasing entropy, flows of energy diminish differences between energy densities that form space. The flow of energy is identified with the flow of time. The non-Euclidean energy landscape, i.e. the curved space–time, is in evolution when energy is flowing down along gradients and levelling the density differences. The flows along the steepest descents, i.e. geodesics are obtained from the principle of least action for mechanics, electrodynamics and quantum mechanics. The arrow of time, associated with the expansion of the Universe, identifies with grand dispersal of energy when high-energy densities transform by various mechanisms to lower densities in energy and eventually to ever-diluting electromagnetic radiation. Likewise, time in a quantum system takes an increment forwards in the detection-associated dissipative transformation when the stationary-state system begins to evolve pictured as the wave function collapse. The energy dispersal is understood to underlie causality so that an energy gradient is a cause and the resulting energy flow is an effect. The account on causality by the concepts of physics does not imply determinism; on the contrary, evolution of space–time as a causal chain of events is non-deterministic.

scholarly journals A Differential Equation for Mutation Rates in Environmental Coevolution

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C E Neal-Sturgess
Keyword(s):  
Population Level ◽  
Equation Of Motion ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Mutation Rates ◽  
Time Base ◽  
Time Rate ◽  
Least Action ◽  
Principle Of Least Action ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Rate Frequency

AbstractIn their paper Natural selection for least action (Kaila and Annila 2008) they depict evolution as a process conforming to the Principle of Least Action (PLA). From this concept, together with the Coevolution model of Lewontin, an equation of motion for environmental coevolution is derived which shows that it is the time rate (frequency) of evolutionary change of the organism (mutations) that responds to changes in the environment. It is not possible to compare the theory with viral or bacterial mutation rates, as these are not measured on a time base. There is positive evidence from population level avian studies where the coefficient of additive evolvability (Cav) and its square (IA) change with environmental favourability in agreement with this model. Further analysis shows that the time rate of change of the coefficient of additive evolvability (Cav) and its square (IA) are linear with environmental favourability, which could help in defining the Lagrangian of the environmental effects.

scholarly journals Diffusive Bejan number and second law of thermodynamics toward a new dimensionless formulation of fluid dynamics laws

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (6 Part B) ◽  
pp. 4005-4022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Trancossi ◽  
Jose Pascoa
Keyword(s):  
Fluid Dynamics ◽  
Entropy Generation ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Integral Form ◽  
Second Law ◽  
Bejan Number ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
New Formulation ◽  
Dimensionless Formulation

In a recent paper, Liversage and Trancossi have defined a new formulation of drag as a function of the dimensionless Bejan and Reynolds numbers. Further analysis of this hypothesis has permitted to obtain a new dimensionless formulation of the fundamental equations of fluid dynamics in their integral form. The resulting equations have been deeply discussed for the thermodynamic definition of Bejan number evidencing that the proposed formulation allows solving fluid dynamic problems in terms of entropy generation, allowing an effective optimization of design in terms of the Second law of thermodynamics. Some samples are discussed evidencing how the new formulation can support the generation of an optimized configuration of fluidic devices and that the optimized configurations allow minimizing the entropy generation.

scholarly journals General Psychology Walks Again

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels Engelsted
Keyword(s):  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Second Law ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Human Consciousness ◽  
Evolutionary Sequence ◽  
General Psychology ◽  
The Past ◽  
Herbert Spencer ◽  
History Of ◽  
Crisis Of Psychology

Explaining the role, importance, and basic layout of general psychology, the paper has two parts. In the first part, told as a ghost story, we visit the long history of general psychology and its usual absence, aka the crisis of psychology. Drawing on the insights of among others George Henry Lewes, Herbert Spencer, Karl Bühler, and Lev Vygotsky, a number of requirements are listed that the author believes are necessary for a general psychology. In the second part is sketched the author’s proposal for such a general psychology. Built on Aristotle’s taxonomy of bio-psyches, the proposal divides psychology into four subdomains, each in need of explanation. In evolutionary sequence: Sentience, which posits the psychological present moment or now. Intentionality, which posits the future. Mind, which posits the past. Human consciousness, which posits the view from without. Sentience remains unexplained. Intentionality is linked to the second law of thermodynamics. Mind is linked to REMS in mammals. Human consciousness is linked to a new understanding of human evolution in which all the defining attributes of the human being – society, consciousness, and language – arrive all at once and together.

scholarly journals Natural Selection as the Sum over all Histories

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
C E Neal-Sturgess
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Neutral Theory ◽  
Space Versus ◽  
Least Action ◽  
Ultimate Causation ◽  
Proximate Causation ◽  
Principle Of Least Action ◽  
Further Development

AbstractAs evolution can be connected to the principle of least action, and if it is depicted in evolution-space versus time then it corresponds to the direction of ultimate causation. As an organism evolves and follows a path of proximate causation, if the vector is closely parallel to that of the Ultimate Causation then the changes will confer desirable attributes which will lead to further development. If, however, the variations do not occur in a direction close to that of the ultimate causation vector the evolved organism will quickly die out. Therefore Natural Selection may be viewed as similar to Feynman’s “sum over all histories”. This approach is compatible with both Neutral Theory and Selection, as it includes both positive and negative mutations and selection. Therefore, the principle of least action gives a direction, but not a purpose, to evolution.

Is the Theory of Natural Selection a Statistical Theory?

1988 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 187-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Rosenberg
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Theory ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Second Law ◽  
Local Boundary ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Equilibrium Level ◽  
Statistical Version ◽  
Average Fitness

In The Structure of Biological Science (Rosenberg [1985]) I argued that the theory of natural selection is a statistical theory for reasons much like those which makes thermodynamics a statistical theory. In particular, the theory claims that fitness differences are large enough and the life span of species long enough for increases in average fitness always to appear in the long run; and this claim, I held, is of the same form as the statistical version of the second law of thermodynamics.For the latter law also makes a claim about the long run, and its statistical character is due to this claim: thermodynamic systems must in the long run approach an equilibrium level of organization that maximizes entropy. Over finite times, given local boundary conditions, an isolated mechanical system, like the molecules in a container of gas, may sometimes interact so as to move the entropy of the system further from, instead of closer to the equilbrium level. But given enough interacting bodies, and enough time, the system will always eventually move in the direction prescribed by the law. Thus, we can attach much higher probabilities to the prediction that non-equilibrium systems will reflect greater entropy in future periods than we can to predictions that they will move in the opposite direction. And as we increase the amount of time and the number of bodies interacting, the strength of the probability we can attach to the prediction becomes greater and greater.

scholarly journals Change of information content due to natural selection in populations with and without recombination

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang A. Tiefenbrunner
Keyword(s):  
Information Theory ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Information Content ◽  
Mutation Rate ◽  
Fitness Landscape ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Second Law ◽  
Deleterious Mutations ◽  
Gene Level ◽  
Theoretical View

AbstractThough evolution undoubtedly operates in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics, the law of disorder, during billions of years organisms of incredible complexity came into being. Natural selection was described by Darwin2 as a process of optimization of the adaptation to environment, but optimization doesn’t necessarily lead to higher intricacy. Methods of thermodynamics and thus of information theory could be suited for the examination of the increase of order and information due to evolution.Here I explain how to quantify the increase of information due to natural selection on the genotype and gene level using the observable change of allele frequencies. In populations with recombination (no linkage), the change of information content can be computed by summing up the contributions of all gene loci and thus gene loci can be treated as independent no matter what the fitness-landscape looks like. Pressure of deleterious mutations decreases information in a linear way, proportional to fitness loss and mutation rate.The information theoretical view on evolution might open new fields of research.

scholarly journals Thawing and freezing quintessence models: a thermodynamic consideration

2019 ◽  
Vol 79 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanima Duary ◽  
Ananda Dasgupta ◽  
Narayan Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Scalar Field ◽  
Field Model ◽  
Second Law Of Thermodynamics ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Second Law ◽  
Correct Description ◽  
Thermodynamic Consideration ◽  
Scalar Field Model ◽  
The Past ◽  
Generalized Second Law

Abstract Thawing and freezing quintessence models are compared thermodynamically. Both of them are found to disobey the generalized second law of thermodynamics. However, for freezing models, there is still a scope as this breakdown occurs in the past, deep inside the radiation dominated era, when a standard scalar field model with a pressureless matter is not a correct description of the matter content. The thawing model has a pathological breakdown in terms of thermodynamics in a finite future.

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