How general is thermodynamics? (Q1088428)

The paper concerns some basic problems of classical and statistical thermodynamics supposing that the classical one follows from statistical thermodynamics. This statement is not proved as long as the second law is not derived from the statistical theory. The author proposes to consider the density \(\rho\) in phase space as a random function and to determine the corresponding macrofunction by theory of random media. For this he introduces an additional ergodic hypothesis which asserts that averages over macroscopic space-time elements in phase space equal averages over an ensemble of ensembles. The macrodensity \({\bar \rho}\) is calculated and it is argued that \({\bar \rho}\) does not show macroscopic fluctuations. The thermodynamics of plastic solids is discussed.