Nonequilibrium thermodynamics: emergent and fundamental

Abstract

How can we derive the evolution equations of dissipative systems? What is the relation between the different approaches? How much do we understand the fundamental aspects of a second law based framework? Is there a hierarchy of dissipative and ideal theories at all? How far can we reach with the new methods of nonequilibrium thermodynamics?

Editorial to the topical issue "Fundamental Aspects of Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics" in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A; 8 pages, 1 figure