From virtual work principle to least action principle for stochastic dynamics?

Qiuping A. Wang (1)

1 ISMANS CESI - Institut Supérieur des Mécaniques et Matériaux Avancés

After the work showing that the maximum entropy principle for equilibrium mechanical system is a consequence of the principle of virtual work, i.e., the virtual work of random forces on a mechanical system should vanish in thermodynamic equilibrium, we present in this paper an extension of that principle to dynamical systems out of equilibrium. The objective of the present work is to justify a least action principle and the concurrent maximum path entropy principle for mechanical systems in random motion.

Mots clés: virtual work principle; least action principle; nonequilibrium; amximum entropy

Domaines: Mécanique statistique [cond-mat.stat-mech]

Qiuping A. Wang. From virtual work principle to least action principle for stochastic dynamics?. 2007. ⟨hal-00141482v2⟩