Negentropy: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 04:00, 13 February 2025

Negentropy[edit]

Negentropy, also known as negative entropy, is a concept used in thermodynamics and information theory to describe the degree of order or organization in a system. It is the opposite of entropy, which measures the amount of disorder or randomness. Negentropy is a measure of the system's ability to maintain order and function effectively.

In thermodynamics, negentropy is associated with the Gibbs free energy, which is the energy available to do work in a system at constant temperature and pressure. Systems with high negentropy are more ordered and have lower entropy, meaning they have more available energy to perform work.

Thermodynamics[edit]

In the context of thermodynamics, negentropy is crucial for understanding how systems evolve over time. According to the second law of thermodynamics, the total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time. However, systems can decrease their entropy locally by increasing the entropy of their surroundings, thus maintaining or increasing their negentropy.

Living organisms are excellent examples of systems that maintain high levels of negentropy. They take in energy from their environment, such as sunlight or food, and use it to maintain their internal order and perform biological functions. This process involves converting energy into forms that can be used to build and maintain complex structures, thus reducing entropy within the organism.

Information Theory[edit]

In information theory, negentropy is used to quantify the amount of information or order in a message. A message with high negentropy contains more information and less randomness. This concept is important in data compression and signal processing, where the goal is to reduce redundancy and increase the efficiency of data transmission.

The concept of negentropy in information theory is closely related to the idea of Shannon entropy, which measures the uncertainty or unpredictability of a message. By reducing entropy, one can increase the predictability and information content of a message, thus increasing its negentropy.

Applications[edit]

Negentropy has applications in various fields, including biology, physics, computer science, and engineering. In biology, it helps explain how living organisms maintain their complex structures and functions. In computer science, it is used in algorithms for data compression and error correction.

In engineering, negentropy is used in the design of systems that require high efficiency and reliability, such as communication systems and control systems. By maximizing negentropy, engineers can design systems that are more robust and capable of performing their intended functions with minimal energy loss.

Related pages[edit]

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-'''Negentropy''' or '''negative entropy''' is a concept used in the study of [[thermodynamics]], [[information theory]], and other fields to describe situations where there is a decrease in [[entropy]], indicating an increase in order or organization. The term is often associated with the work of physicist [[Erwin Schrödinger]] and his 1944 book "What is Life?", where he suggests that living organisms maintain their order and structure by decreasing their internal entropy at the expense of energy taken from their environment.
+{{DISPLAYTITLE:Negentropy}}
-==Overview==
+== Negentropy ==
-Negentropy is a measure of the difference between the entropy of a system and the maximum entropy it could have while still remaining in the same macrostate. In simpler terms, it is a measure of how organized or ordered a system is compared to the maximum disorder it could have. The concept is important in understanding how systems can maintain or increase order, and it is particularly relevant in the study of [[life sciences]] and [[biophysics]], where organisms are seen as systems that maintain or increase their order by consuming energy.
-==Thermodynamics==
+[[File:Wykres_Gibbsa.svg|thumb|right|Gibbs free energy diagram illustrating negentropy.]]
-In [[thermodynamics]], the second law states that the total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time. However, this does not mean that parts of the system cannot decrease in entropy, as long as the total entropy of the system, including its surroundings, increases. This principle allows for the existence of negentropy, where local decreases in entropy are offset by greater increases elsewhere in the system.
-==Information Theory==
+'''Negentropy''', also known as '''negative entropy''', is a concept used in [[thermodynamics]] and [[information theory]] to describe the degree of order or organization in a system. It is the opposite of [[entropy]], which measures the amount of disorder or randomness. Negentropy is a measure of the system's ability to maintain order and function effectively.
-In [[information theory]], negentropy is closely related to [[information]]. It is often used to measure the amount of information or order in a system, as opposed to randomness or chaos. The concept is used to understand how information can be stored, transmitted, and processed efficiently.
-==Biological Significance==
+In thermodynamics, negentropy is associated with the [[Gibbs free energy]], which is the energy available to do work in a system at constant temperature and pressure. Systems with high negentropy are more ordered and have lower entropy, meaning they have more available energy to perform work.
-Negentropy has significant implications in the study of [[biology]] and [[ecology]]. Living organisms are seen as negentropic systems because they decrease their internal entropy by consuming energy in the form of food or sunlight, and expelling waste. This process allows them to maintain their complex structure and function in the face of the natural tendency towards disorder.
-==Criticism and Alternative Views==
+== Thermodynamics ==
-The concept of negentropy has been subject to criticism and alternative interpretations. Some scientists argue that the term is unnecessary, as the phenomena it describes can be fully explained by the existing laws of thermodynamics. Others have proposed alternative concepts, such as [[syntropy]], to describe the tendency towards increasing complexity and order in the universe.
-==See Also==
+In the context of thermodynamics, negentropy is crucial for understanding how systems evolve over time. According to the [[second law of thermodynamics]], the total entropy of an isolated system can never decrease over time. However, systems can decrease their entropy locally by increasing the entropy of their surroundings, thus maintaining or increasing their negentropy.
+Living organisms are excellent examples of systems that maintain high levels of negentropy. They take in energy from their environment, such as [[sunlight]] or [[food]], and use it to maintain their internal order and perform biological functions. This process involves converting energy into forms that can be used to build and maintain complex structures, thus reducing entropy within the organism.
+== Information Theory ==
+In [[information theory]], negentropy is used to quantify the amount of information or order in a message. A message with high negentropy contains more information and less randomness. This concept is important in [[data compression]] and [[signal processing]], where the goal is to reduce redundancy and increase the efficiency of data transmission.
+The concept of negentropy in information theory is closely related to the idea of [[Shannon entropy]], which measures the uncertainty or unpredictability of a message. By reducing entropy, one can increase the predictability and information content of a message, thus increasing its negentropy.
+== Applications ==
+Negentropy has applications in various fields, including [[biology]], [[physics]], [[computer science]], and [[engineering]]. In biology, it helps explain how living organisms maintain their complex structures and functions. In computer science, it is used in algorithms for data compression and error correction.
+In engineering, negentropy is used in the design of systems that require high efficiency and reliability, such as [[communication systems]] and [[control systems]]. By maximizing negentropy, engineers can design systems that are more robust and capable of performing their intended functions with minimal energy loss.
+== Related pages ==
 * [[Entropy]]
 * [[Second law of thermodynamics]]
+* [[Gibbs free energy]]
 * [[Information theory]]
-* [[Biophysics]]
+* [[Shannon entropy]]
-* [[Syntropy]]
-==References==
-<references/>
 [[Category:Thermodynamics]]
 [[Category:Information theory]]
-[[Category:Biophysics]]
-{{physics-stub}}
-{{medicine-stub}}