[FRIAM] Entropy RE-redux

Mon Jun 16 11:12:09 EDT 2025

Guys!!!!!!  I was literally asking about bb's in a box.  So, I assume heat
is more or less irrelevant. The question I was trying to get at is what is
the appropriate measure of central tendency to use between two positive
distributions of skewed Taps.  My proposal was that if the appropriate
measure of central tendency is one that emphasizes large numbers, then the
slider would move under the influence of the taps in the direction of the
distribution with the lesser skew.  So, if we packed the two sides with the
same number of bbs, the barrier would shift to the less skewed side if the
appropriate measure of central tendency was, say, root mean square.

Now the question would emerge as to whether this metaphor (model, if you
will) bears on the entropy discussion.  Bolttzmann distributions are
positively skewed.

On Mon, Jun 16, 2025 at 10:32 AM Alexander Rasmus <alex.m.rasmus at gmail.com>
wrote:

> "A sequence of "taps" is applied to each plunger. These taps progressively
> reduce the volume of the containers. The taps on both sides have the same
> average magnitude, but the distribution of their magnitudes has different
> positive skews."
>
> Note the code is actually holding total volume fixed and reducing density
> (which is a perfectly valid interpretation of the word tap). It is also
> assuming that the two sides go into thermal equilibrium in addition to
> pressure equilibrium.
>
> You're also making assumptions about Nick's prompt that aren't really
> there. The taps will only reduce the volume of either side in an asymptotic
> sense if you're either mechanically imposing that the plunger motion is
> monotonically inward in some way, or if there's heat flow out of the system
> while the system is in a temporarily compressed state. If the compressions
> are adiabatic, the plunger is allowed to move freely other than the forcing
> from the taps, and there's no heat flow, the plungers and divider will
> eventually return to the same relative positions since the two cavities are
> on the same isentrope. Actually calculating out what will happen due to
> complications depends on Nick telling us what about the process is
> non-adiabatic, which he has not done.
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jun 16, 2025 at 2:35 AM Pieter Steenekamp <
> pieters at randcontrols.co.za> wrote:
>
>> I asked George (Gemini) to simulate it and I ran the code in Colab at:
>>
>> https://colab.research.google.com/drive/18cqOB5x-a-IpLtx0LZBg9VrFi893EcbH?usp=sharing
>>
>> The prompt I used was:
>> You are given a system with two air-filled containers connected by a
>> tube. Inside the tube is a movable slider with a membrane that allows
>> pressure to equalize between the containers. Each container has a plunger
>> that can change its volume.
>> A sequence of "taps" is applied to each plunger. These taps progressively
>> reduce the volume of the containers. The taps on both sides have the same
>> average magnitude, but the distribution of their magnitudes has different
>> positive skews.
>> Write a Python program that:
>> Simulates the system by applying a series of random taps to each plunger.
>> Generates tap magnitudes using random distributions with:
>> Equal average values.
>> Different degrees of positive skewness.
>> Calculates the resulting position of the slider (equilibrium point) as
>> the taps are applied.
>> Repeats the simulation n times (default n=10).
>> Outputs the results:
>> Numerically (e.g., final slider positions).
>> Graphically (e.g., distribution of slider positions or time evolution
>> over taps).
>>
>> On Mon, 16 Jun 2025 at 05:54, Marcus Daniels <marcus at snoutfarm.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>>  I guess I don't see why it is such a big ask to tack on "Can you
>>> simulate this?" to the prompt.
>>>
>>> On Jun 15, 2025, at 2:09 PM, steve smith <sasmyth at swcp.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> 
>>>
>>> George can do it.
>>>
>>> George can do anything, you just have to know how to ask him
>>> correctly... a bit like a Djinn.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Marcus,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks for checking in.  I think I can safely say that that is a thing I
>>> will probably never do, but you have reminded me that I ought to see if
>>> somebody has already done it in NetLogo.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> <OpenPGP_0xD5BAF94F88AFFA63.asc>
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-- 
Nicholas S. Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Ethology
Clark University
nthompson at clarku.edu
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson
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