Anyone heard of a book titled S=k ln W ?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the search for a book titled "S=k ln W," which is suggested to be related to statistical mechanics (SM). Participants are trying to identify the author and confirm the existence of the book, which may have been published in German.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Adam inquires about a book suggested by a professor, noting its potential German origin and short length.
  • One participant clarifies that "SM" refers to statistical mechanics.
  • Another participant mentions Ludwig Boltzmann's association with the equation but does not provide further details about the book.
  • A different participant suggests a specific book found online but notes it is longer than 100 pages and questions if it is the correct title, also pointing out that the author is not German.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the identity of the book or its author, and multiple competing views regarding possible titles and authors remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

There is uncertainty regarding the exact title, author, and language of the book, as well as the potential for different publications related to the equation.

arwright3
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Anyone heard of a book titled "S=k ln W"?

Hi,

An old prof. of mine suggested an SM book he read in grad school that was titled "S=k ln W". He didn't remember the author, but said it was pretty short (~100 pages) and was a really good read for a grad class in SM. I've been trying to find this book, but no luck so far, I can't even find any mention of it online. Anyone heard of this book or possibly know who the author is?

-Adam

P.S. He is german, so there is a chance that this book might have been in german and could have been published under another name in english.
 
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What do you mean by SM, Statistical Mechanics.
 


Other than the equation being the work of Ludwig Boltzmann, and him being a bit of a big cheese in the field of statistical mechanics I can't help. I've done a quick google and I can't find a list of Boltzmann's publications, but maybe this was something of his?
 


The only book I can think of with that on the cover is https://www.amazon.com/dp/9812832254/?tag=pfamazon01-20. But it is 250 pages. The author's larger book A Farewell To Entropy is better than the shorter version above. Also he isn't German... so this is probably a different book.
 
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