Thermodynamics as a consequence of mechanics

In this paper the transition from the microscopic description to macroscopic one is considered. Transformation of Mechanics into Thermodynamics follows as its consequence. Retardation of interactions and their role in irreversibility of both theories are analyzed. The mechanical analogue of entropy is found.

A box, a trough and marbles: How the Reed-Frost epidemic theory shaped epidemiological reasoning in the 20th century

The article takes the renewed popularity and interest in epidemiological modelling for Covid-19 as a point of departure to ask how modelling has historically shaped epidemiological reasoning. The focus lies on a particular model, developed in the late 1920s through a collaboration of the former field-epidemiologists and medical officer, Wade Hampton Frost, and the biostatistician and population ecologist Lowell Reed. Other than former approaches to epidemic theory in mathematical formula, the Reed-Frost epidemic theory was materialised in a simple mechanical analogue: a box with coloured marbles and a wooden trough. The article reconstructs how the introduction of this mechanical model has reshaped epidemiological reasoning by shifting the field from purely descriptive to analytical practices. It was not incidental that the history of this model coincided with the foundation of epidemiology as an academic discipline, as it valorised and institutionalised new theoretical contributions to the field. Through its versatility, the model shifted the field’s focus from mono-causal explanations informed by bacteriology, eugenics or sanitary perspectives towards the systematic consideration of epidemics as a set of interdependent and dynamic variables.

Enabling novel dispersion and topological characteristics in mechanical lattices via stable negative inertial coupling

Mechanical topological insulators have enabled a myriad of unprecedented characteristics that are otherwise not conceivable in traditional periodic structures. While rich in dynamics, new developments in the domain of mechanical topological systems are hindered by their inherent inability to exhibit negative elastic or inertial couplings owing to the inevitable loss of dynamical stability. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to remedy this challenge by introducing a class of architected inertial metamaterials (AIMs) as a platform for designing mechanical lattices with novel topological and dispersion traits. We show that carefully coupling elastically supported masses via moment-free rigid linkages invokes a dynamically stable negative inertial coupling, which is essential for topological classes in need of such negative interconnection. The potential of the proposed AIMs is demonstrated via three examples: (i) a mechanical analogue of Majorana edge states, (ii) a square diatomic AIM that can sustain the quantum valley Hall effect (classically arising in hexagonal lattices), and (iii) a square tetratomic AIM with topological corner modes. We envision that the presented framework will pave the way for a plethora of robust topological mechanical systems.

Two dimensionless parameters and a mechanical analogue for the HKB model of motor coordination

The widely cited Haken–Kelso–Bunz (HKB) model of motor coordination is used in an enormous range of applications. In this paper, we show analytically that the weakly damped, weakly coupled HKB model of two oscillators depends on only two dimensionless parameters; the ratio of the linear damping coefficient and the linear coupling coefficient and the ratio of the combined nonlinear damping coefficients and the combined nonlinear coupling coefficients. We illustrate our results with a mechanical analogue. We use our analytic results to predict behaviours in arbitrary parameter regimes and show how this led us to explain and extend recent numerical continuation results of the full HKB model. The key finding is that the HKB model contains a significant amount of behaviour in biologically relevant parameter regimes not yet observed in experiments or numerical simulations. This observation has implications for the development of virtual partner interaction and the human dynamic clamp, and potentially for the HKB model itself.

Statistical Mechanics: The Basics

This chapter introduces the reader to the basics of statistical mechanics. Gibbsian and neo-Boltzmannian approaches are outlined. It includes a statistical-mechanical analogue of the second law of thermodynamics, and a proof of the Poincaré recurrence theorem. It is argued that the differences between Gibbsian and neo-Boltzmannian approaches have been exaggerated.

Mathematical models of resonance and antiresonance processes

The use of the symbolic (complex) method has significantly simplified the study of resonance and near-resonance phenomena, in particular, it has made it possible to deeply unify and formalize the consideration of various mechanical systems. The cumbersome and time-consuming operations associated with composing and solving differential equations have been replaced by simple algebraic transformations. The method is based on the mechanical analogue of Ohm’s law in a complex representation and the concept of mechanical reactance, resistance, impedance, susseptance, conductance and admittance. Resonances and antiresonances of forces and velocities are determined. Resonances occur when the elements are connected in parallel with a force source, or when the elements are connected in series with a velocity source. Antiresonances occur when a parallel connection and a speed source are combined, or a serial connection and a force source are combined. These concepts are a generalization to mechanics of the concepts of «voltage source» and «current source» from theoretical electrical engineering. The closest to the source of speed in its properties is a crank-rocker (connecting rod) mechanism with a massive flywheel. The source of force corresponds more to the rod of the significantly smaller of the two connected pneumatic cylinders.

Floquet-engineered quantum walks

The quantum walk is the quantum-mechanical analogue of the classical random walk, which offers an advanced tool for both simulating highly complex quantum systems and building quantum algorithms in a wide range of research areas. One prominent application is in computational models capable of performing any quantum computation, in which precisely controlled state transfer is required. It is, however, generally difficult to control the behavior of quantum walks due to stochastic processes. Here we unveil the walking mechanism based on its particle-wave duality and then present tailoring quantum walks using the walking mechanism (Floquet oscillations) under designed time-dependent coins, to manipulate the desired state on demand, as in universal quantum computation primitives. Our results open the path towards control of quantum walks.

Ideal memcapacitors and meminductors are overunity devices

It is rigorously proved that ideal memcapacitors and meminductors are not passive or cyclo-passive devices. Equivalently, this implies that there exist excitation profiles that allow to extract more energy from the device than it is supplied with; so that their energy conversion efficiency exceeds 100%. This means that ideal memcapacitors and meminductors violate the First Law of thermodynamics, and thus are non-physical as they constitute so-called overunity systems. An illustrative mechanical analogue is provided for which such an excitation profile is explicitly constructed. Hence ideal memcapacitors and meminductors are mathematical artefacts, and the question arises what this implies for the properties of non-ideal memcapacitors and meminductors (or, memcapacitive systems and meminductive systems), which do satisfy the First Law.