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Emergence of local irreversibility in complex interacting systems
Christopher W Lynn1,2, Caroline M Holmes2, William Bialek1,2
1Initiative for the Theoretical Sciences, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York 10016, USA.
Physical Review. E
|October 21, 2022
Summary
Living systems show an arrow of time due to entropy production. This study decomposes entropy production into independent and interaction terms, revealing how system dynamics emerge from element interactions.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics
- Computational Neuroscience
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Living systems are characterized by irreversibility and an emergent arrow of time, a fundamental concept in thermodynamics.
- The origin of this macroscopic arrow of time from microscopic interactions among system components remains a key question.
- Entropy production quantifies the arrow of time in thermodynamic systems, but its decomposition is complex.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for decomposing entropy production into contributions from individual elements and their interactions.
- To investigate how the arrow of time emerges from the collective behavior of system components.
- To apply this decomposition framework to biological and computational systems, including neural activity.
Main Methods:
- Decomposition of entropy production into independent and interaction terms.
- Further breakdown of the interaction term into contributions from pairs, triplets, and higher-order interactions.
- Application of these methods to models of cellular sensing, logical computations, and neural network activity.
Main Results:
- Entropy production can be effectively separated into dynamics of individual elements and emergent interaction effects.
- The interaction term, crucial for the arrow of time, can be further resolved into contributions from different orders of element dependencies.
- Neural activity in the retina can establish an arrow of time independently of visual input, driven by neuronal interactions.
Conclusions:
- The emergent arrow of time in complex systems arises from the interplay between individual component dynamics and their interactions.
- Pairwise interactions play a significant role in breaking detailed balance and establishing the arrow of time in neural systems.
- This work provides a framework for understanding irreversibility and emergent order in diverse living systems.
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