Place: Auditorium

Date: July 7 to 11, 2025

Time: 10:00am

The interplay between thermodynamics, general relativity, and quantum mechanics has long intrigued physicists. In recent years, significant progress has been made in thermodynamics, particularly through the development of fluctuation theorems and their extension into the quantum regime. Despite substantial efforts to understand the role of gravity in thermodynamics, a universally accepted framework remains elusive.

In these lectures, we begin with the fundamentals of thermodynamics and introduce a new theoretical approach aimed at bridging this gap. We first review the basic laws of thermodynamics, followed by a discussion of classical and quantum fluctuation relations. We then introduce the foundational concepts of general relativity. Finally, we bring these elements together to present our theory, which, among other results, predicts that entropy production is strongly observer-dependent, thus revealing a deep connection between the arrow of time and the causal structure of spacetime.

These lectures are designed as an accessible introduction to the subject and do not assume prior expertise in non-equilibrium statistical physics or general relativity.

Playlist of the classes on the IIP YouTube channel