Abstract:
The last fifteen years have witnessed dramatic developments in the
theory of far from equilibrium statistical physics. The aim of the
lectures is to provide a simple introduction to two main results: a
generalization of the second law of thermodynamics to small systems
(fluctuation theorem) and a nonequilibrium equality for free energy
differences (Jarzynski equality). The lectures will be based on the
intuitive formalism of the Langevin equation and make extensive
contact with recent experiments.