Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 18, 2026

Applications of EEG Neuroimaging Data: Event-related Potentials, Spectral Power, and Multiscale Entropy
Published on: June 27, 2013
Generalized entropy arising from a distribution of q indices
G A Tsekouras1, Constantino Tsallis
1Institute of Physical Chemistry, National Center for Scientific Research Demokritos, 15310 Athens, Greece. gtsek@chem.demokritos.gr
Abstract:
It is by now well known that the Boltzmann-Gibbs (BG) entropy can be usefully generalized using the non-extensive entropies, which have been applied to a wide range of phenomena. However, it seems that even more general entropies could be useful in order to describe other complex physical systems, a task which has already been undertaken in the literature. Following this approach, we introduce here a quite general entropy based on a distribution of q indices thus generalizing S(q). We establish some general mathematical properties for the new entropic functional and explore some examples. We also exhibit a procedure for finding, given any entropic functional, the q-indices distribution that produces it. Finally, on the road to establishing a quite general statistical mechanics, we briefly address possible generalized constraints under which the present entropy could be extremized, in order to produce canonical-ensemble-like stationary-state distributions for Hamiltonian systems.
Related Concept Videos
Entropy
Entropy
When an ideal gas expands isothermally, the disorder in the gas increases. From the molecular perspective, the gas molecules have more volume to move around in.
Consider an infinitesimal step in the expansion, which...
Probability Distributions
A discrete probability distribution is a probability distribution of discrete random variables. It can be categorized into binomial probability distribution and Poisson probability...
The Entropy as a State Function
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
The relation between entropy and disorder can be illustrated with the example of the phase change of ice to water. In ice, the molecules are located at specific sites giving a solid state, whereas, in a liquid form, these molecules are much freer to move. The molecular arrangement has therefore become more randomized. Although the change in average...
Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics
