Except that for an isolated system the entropy is constant. The traditional formulation is "increases or is constant", but certainly the "number of microstates consistent with a macrostate" is referring to a conditional entropy, not an entropy. So the 2nd law actually talks about what happens to the conditional entropy. That, indeed, increases or is a constant for an isolated system.
Except that for an isolated system the entropy is constant. The traditional formulation is "increases or is constant", but certainly the "number of microstates consistent with a macrostate" is referring to a conditional entropy, not an entropy. So the 2nd law actually talks about what happens to the conditional entropy. That, indeed, increases or is a constant for an isolated system.
ReplyDeleteAnd Hawking actually doesn't know this.
Constant is when nothing happens in turns of heat transfer, I assume?
ReplyDeleteSo what's the difference between entropy and conditional entropy?