Boltzmann Distribution Derivation Question

In summary, the conversation discusses the question of why partial derivatives of Nj and U with respect to Nj are equal to 1 and Ej, respectively. The concept of partial derivatives is explained, along with the application of Lagrange multipliers in finding extrema. It is concluded that it is not true that all partial derivatives of phi and psi with respect to Nj are equal to zero.
  • #1
kidsasd987
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4
Hello, I have a question about Boltzmann Distribution.

I wonder why partial N of Nj is 1 and partial U of Nj=Ej. because N is constant, partial N of Nj has to be 0 and Partial Nj of U has to be 0 as well.

They are constants so, to make sense of the equation, alpha and beta have to be 0 but this is still absurd.

Can anyone tell me why this is true?
 

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  • #2
kidsasd987 said:
Hello, I have a question about Boltzmann Distribution.

I wonder why partial N of Nj is 1 and partial U of Nj=Ej. because N is constant, partial N of Nj has to be 0 and Partial Nj of U has to be 0 as well.
With partial N of Nj you seem to mean ##\partial N\over \partial N_j##, right ?

Well, if ##\ \ A = x+y+z\ \ ## then what is ##\ \ {\partial A\over \partial x}\ \ ## according to you ?
 
  • #3
BvU said:
With partial N of Nj you seem to mean ##\partial N\over \partial N_j##, right ?

Well, if ##\ \ A = x+y+z\ \ ## then what is ##\ \ {\partial A\over \partial x}\ \ ## according to you ?

if A is const, isn't it 0 where x is 0? or y,z is depedent on x where partial_x (y+z)=-1.
N is not a function. it is a constant, according to the second and third screen shot. on the second screen shot, it says we are multiplying constants by zero.Well I thought, it would make sense if N is a function because we are dealing with some unknown N number of particles. then, partial_Nj (N)=1. but since the slide says Partial_Nj(N) is 0, so.. I got lost.
 
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  • #4
kidsasd987 said:
N is not a function. it is a constant
N is ##\sum N_j## and as such has a partial derivative with respect to ##N_j##. Look up the definition of partial derivative. That doesn't change because a constraint (##N## is constant) is imposed.
kidsasd987 said:
on the second screen shot, it says we are multiplying constants by zero.
That would be the sheet with "13/28" and it's nonsense. (I understand your question a lot better now :smile:)

If you look up the method of Lagrange multipliers perhaps it'll become a bit clearer, in the sense that at an extremum a necessary condition is that the gradients are linearly dependent. Hence these Lagrange multipliers ##\alpha## and ##\beta##.
It certainly isn't true that all ##\ \ {\partial \phi\over \partial N_j} \ \ ## and ##\ \ {\partial \psi\over \partial N_j} \ \ ## are zero.
 
  • #5
BvU said:
N is ##\sum N_j## and as such has a partial derivative with respect to ##N_j##. Look up the definition of partial derivative. That doesn't change because a constraint (##N## is constant) is imposed.
That would be the sheet with "13/28" and it's nonsense. (I understand your question a lot better now :smile:)

If you look up the method of Lagrange multipliers perhaps it'll become a bit clearer, in the sense that at an extremum a necessary condition is that the gradients are linearly dependent. Hence these Lagrange multipliers ##\alpha## and ##\beta##.
It certainly isn't true that all ##\ \ {\partial \phi\over \partial N_j} \ \ ## and ##\ \ {\partial \psi\over \partial N_j} \ \ ## are zero.

Thanks a lot. I spent quite a lot of time on figuring out what went wrong in the note and what I did wrong.
Thank you!
 

1. What is the Boltzmann Distribution?

The Boltzmann Distribution is a statistical probability distribution that describes the distribution of particles in a system at thermal equilibrium. It is named after Austrian physicist Ludwig Boltzmann and is commonly used in thermodynamics and statistical mechanics.

2. How is the Boltzmann Distribution derived?

The Boltzmann Distribution is derived from the principles of statistical mechanics, specifically the Boltzmann factor which relates the energy of a system to its temperature. It can be mathematically derived using statistical methods such as the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution and the partition function.

3. What does the Boltzmann Distribution tell us?

The Boltzmann Distribution tells us the relative probabilities of particles having a certain amount of energy in a system at thermal equilibrium. It describes the distribution of energy among particles and provides information about the average energy of the particles in a system.

4. What are the assumptions made in the Boltzmann Distribution?

The Boltzmann Distribution assumes that the system is at thermal equilibrium, meaning that the temperature is constant throughout the system. It also assumes that the particles in the system are distinguishable and that there are no interactions or forces between them.

5. How is the Boltzmann Distribution used in practical applications?

The Boltzmann Distribution is used in various fields such as chemistry, physics, and engineering to understand and predict the behavior of particles in a system. It is also used in thermodynamic calculations and in the design of experiments and processes involving particles at thermal equilibrium.

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