Steepest entropy increase is justified by information theory. The relations between Ziegler\u27s principle, Onsager\u27s formalism and Prigogine\u27s principle

Evidence for Ziegler\u27s principle of maximum entropy production has been accumulated from different fields such as climatic studies, crystal growth, dynamics of ecosystems and cellular metabolism. However, Ziegler\u27s principle is still seen with scepticism by the scientific community. The reasons for this scepticism are the absence of an accepted theoretical justification as well as the fact that Ziegler\u27s principle formulation seems to contradict Prigogine\u27s principle of minimum entropy production. In this work we aim to provide a theoretical justification for Ziegler\u27s principle based on information theory, which is at the basis of Gibbs\u27 formalism for statistical physics. Similar approaches have previously been attempted, however we believe that the justification provided here is simpler and relies in less questionable hypotheses. Once Ziegler\u27s principle has been formulated as a consequence of information theory, its relations with Onsager\u27s formulation and Prigogine\u27s principle are explored. (C) 2010 Elsevier BM. All rights reserved