Summer 2024

Physics meets information

Many-body physics and information theory share a rich interface with intriguing connections. First of all, any information has to be carried by physical objects and - accordingly - information processing has to follow the laws of physics. Moreover, the concept of information can itself become part of physical processes, leading to the conclusion that “information is physical”. From this perspective, the course will cover the following topics:

  • Entropy and the 2nd law of thermodynamics
  • Information theory
  • Thermodynamics: Maxwell demon and Landauer principle
  • Statistical mechanics: Jaynes’ principle and renormalization group
  • Quantum information

Materials