scholarly journals Integrating Inferentialism about Physical Theories and Representations: a Case for Phase Space Diagrams

2021 ◽  
Vol 53 (158) ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Anta
Keyword(s):  
Phase Space ◽  
Statistical Mechanics ◽  
Theoretical Context ◽  
Semantic Conception ◽  
Representational Practices ◽  
Scientific Representations

This paper argues for an integrated inferential conception about theories and representations and its role in accounting for the theoretical value of philosophically disregarded representational practices, such as the systematic use of phase space diagrams within the theoretical context of statistical mechanics. This proposal would rely on both inferentialism about scientific representations (Suárez 2004) and inferentialism about particular physical theories (Wallace 2017). I defend that both perspectives somehow converge into an integrated inferentialism by means of the thesis of theories as being composed of representations, as defended from the representational semantic conception defended by Suárez and Pero (2019).

scholarly journals Themis: A Software to Assess Association Free Energies via Direct Estimative of Partition Functions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felippe Mariano Colombari ◽  
Asdrubal Lozada-Blanco ◽  
Kalil Bernardino ◽  
Weverson Gomes ◽  
André Farias de Moura
Keyword(s):  
Phase Space ◽  
Statistical Mechanics ◽  
Excited States ◽  
Surface Adsorption ◽  
Chiral Discrimination ◽  
Partition Functions ◽  
Computer Implementation ◽  
Free Energies ◽  
Electronic Excited States ◽  
Discrete Grid

<div>We present the program <i>Themis</i> - a computer implementation of a standard statistical mechanics framework to compute free energies, average energies and entropic contributions for association processes of two atom-based structures. The partition functions are computed analytically using a discrete grid in the phase space, whose size and degree of coarseness can be controlled to allow efficient calculations and to achieve the desired level of accuracy. With this strategy, applications ranging from molecular recognition, chiral discrimination, surface adsorption and even the interactions involving molecules in electronic excited states can be handled.</div>

scholarly journals Aspectos erotéticos del «hibridismo» de Mendel

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Lorenzano
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Theoretical Context ◽  
Semantic Conception ◽  
Precise Characterization ◽  
Structuralist View ◽  
Semantic Conception Of Theories

RESUMENEl objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar, en la línea sugerida por Nickles (1980, 1981) y desarrollada por Sintonen (1985, 1996), no sólo que el «enfoque de resolución de problemas» y el «enfoque de teorías» no son contrapuestos, sino que este último, mediante la versión de la concepción semántica de las teorías conocida bajo el nombre de «estructuralismo metateórico», puede ser utilizado para aportar precisión al enfoque de resolución de problemas, a través de la caracterización más precisa del contexto teórico en el que se plantean los problemas y, de este modo, de su individuación e historia, pudiéndose así distinguir dos tipos de «cambio problemático»: «cambio en un problema» y «cambio de problema». Para ello, se presentará dicha propuesta y luego será aplicada al caso del «hibridismo» de Mendel.PALABRAS CLAVEPROBLEMA CIENTÍFICO, ENFOQUE DE RESOLUCIÓN DE PROBLEMAS, ESTRUCTURALISMO METATEÓRICO, HIBRIDISMOABSTRACTThe aim of this paper is to show, in the line suggested by Nickles (1980, 1981) and developed by Sintonen (1985, 1996), not just that the «problem-solving approach» and the «theory approach» are not incompatible, but also that the latter, in the version of the semantic conception of theories known as «structuralist view», can be used to give precision to the problem-solving approach, by a more precise characterization of the theoretical context in which problems arise and, in this way, to their individuation and history, distinguishing two types of «problem change»: «change in a problem» and «change of a problem». In order to do this, it will be presented a proposal that will be applied to Mendel’s «hybridism».KEYWORDSSCIENTIFIC PROBLEM, PROBLEM-SOLVING APPROACH, METATHEORETICAL STRUCTURALISM, HYBRIDISM

Phase Space Reconstruction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray Huffaker ◽  
Marco Bittelli ◽  
Rodolfo Rosa
Keyword(s):  
Dynamical System ◽  
Phase Space ◽  
Dynamical Systems ◽  
Statistical Mechanics ◽  
State Space ◽  
Phase Plane ◽  
Material Point ◽  
The Other ◽  
Straight Line ◽  
Mathematical Construction

In this chapter we introduce an important concept concerning the study of both discrete and continuous dynamical systems, the concept of phase space or “state space”. It is an abstract mathematical construction with important applications in statistical mechanics, to represent the time evolution of a dynamical system in geometric shape. This space has as many dimensions as the number of variables needed to define the instantaneous state of the system. For instance, the state of a material point moving on a straight line is defined by its position and velocity at each instant, so that the phase space for this system is a plane in which one axis is the position and the other one the velocity. In this case, the phase space is also called “phase plane”. It is later applied in many chapters of the book.

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