Einstein's Statistical-Thermodynamics Ideas in the Modern Physical Picture of the World (towards the 100th anniversary of his early papers)

A. D. Sukhanov

A modern approach to the evaluation of Einstein's thermodynamic legacy is formulated. It is shown that the main ideas of modern statistical thermodynamics were clearly spoken out in the set of papers on thermodynamics written during 1903-1922 by Einstein himself and his nearest followers. This theory significantly develops on classical Klausius'-Gibbs' thermodynamics. It is demonstrated that Einstein's outstanding results in the theory of Brownian motion, quantum theories of the radiation, the crystal and the ideal one-atomic gas in many respects are embodiment of his statistical-thermodynamics ideas, showing the most important role of fluctuations and their correlations in a broad field of physical problems and the necessity in a simultaneous consideration of quantum and thermal fluctuations. A suggestion is put forward that Einstein's approach to the description of Nature based on synthesis of statistical-thermodynamics, quantum-fields and geometrical representations is the most promising for the creation of a holistic physical picture of the world including classical and nonclassical theories of physics both on the micro- and on the macro-levels.

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