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Equation 12 · The Arrow of Time and the Engine of Evolution

What does this equation mean?

PF(+W)PR(−W)=exp⁡ ⁣(W−ΔFkBT)\frac{P_{\mathrm F}(+W)}{P_{\mathrm R}(-W)} = \exp\!\left(\frac{W - \Delta F}{k_{\mathrm{B}} T}\right)

Read the formula alongside the article passage below. Each part has a deeper page with its role in the equation, the supporting passage and nearby citations.

Start withW - Δ F
Divide byk_B T
This relates tofracP_mathrm F(+W)P_mathrm R(-W)
How to read the two sides of this formula. Follow the article passage for the meaning of each quantity.

This equation states an equality: the expressions on both sides have the same value under the article’s assumptions. Read the equation part by part below; each part has a contextual explanation and a link to its mathematical background.

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PFP_{\mathrm F}

Symbol P_mathrm F

PmP_mathrm F occurs above the fraction bar. The numerator is divided by the entire denominator below it.

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WW

Symbol W

W is an argument of the function-like quantity on the left; its role is set by that function’s stated inputs.

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PRP_{\mathrm R}

Symbol P_mathrm R

the distribution measured over the time-reversed protocol run from its own correctly defined reverse-equilibrium starting ensemble, the two distributions are related by [displayed formula].

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ΔF\Delta F

Symbol Δ F

the w exactly equals.

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kBk_{\mathrm{B}}

Symbol k_B

kBk_B occurs below the fraction bar. The quantity above the bar is divided by this expression; zero is excluded as a denominator.

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TT

Symbol T

T occurs below the fraction bar. The quantity above the bar is divided by this expression; zero is excluded as a denominator.

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=

=

The expressions on both sides represent the same quantity under the stated assumptions.

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fraction

fraction

Divide the expression above the line by the one below it.

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subtraction

subtraction

Subtract the following term or group from the preceding one. A leading minus marks a negative quantity.

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change

change

Capital delta attached to a quantity marks a difference between two values of that quantity; the article’s sign convention determines the order.

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subscript

subscript

The lower label selects a particular version, component, or indexed member of the quantity. For example, x₀ and xₜ can be values at different positions.

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PF(+W)P_{\mathrm F}(+W)

Numerator: P_mathrm F(+W)

The complete quantity above the fraction bar.

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PR(−W)P_{\mathrm R}(-W)

Denominator: P_mathrm R(-W)

The complete quantity below the fraction bar; it must be nonzero for this division.

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W−ΔFW - \Delta F

Numerator: W - Δ F

The complete quantity above the fraction bar.

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kBTk_{\mathrm{B}} T

Denominator: k_B T

The complete quantity below the fraction bar; it must be nonzero for this division.

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How to interpret it

With a fixed numerator, increasing a nonzero denominator reduces the fraction. Read it with the definitions, units, and assumptions supplied by the article.

What the article says around this equation

Gavin Crooks sharpened this two years later into a statement about entire probability distributions rather than a single average. If PF(W)P_{\mathrm F}(W) is the distribution of work values measured over many repetitions of a forward protocol, and PR(W)P_{\mathrm R}(W) is the distribution measured over the time-reversed protocol run from its own correctly defined reverse-equilibrium starting ensemble, the two distributions are related by PF(+W)PR(−W)=exp⁡ ⁣(W−ΔFkBT)\frac{P_{\mathrm F}(+W)}{P_{\mathrm R}(-W)} = \exp\!\left(\frac{W - \Delta F}{k_{\mathrm{B}} T}\right). [ 6 ] . Where W exactly equals Δ\Delta F , the ratio is one and the forward distribution crosses the reflected reverse distribution; away from that point, the ratio grows exponentially in how far W departs from Δ\Delta F , which is the precise,…
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Gavin Crooks sharpened this two years later into a statement about entire probability distributions rather than a single average. If PF(W)P_{\mathrm F}(W) is the distribution of work values measured over many repetitions of a forward protocol, and PR(W)P_{\mathrm R}(W) is the distribution measured over the time-reversed protocol run from its own correctly defined reverse-equilibrium starting ensemble, the two distributions are related by PF(+W)PR(−W)=exp⁡ ⁣(W−ΔFkBT)\frac{P_{\mathrm F}(+W)}{P_{\mathrm R}(-W)} = \exp\!\left(\frac{W - \Delta F}{k_{\mathrm{B}} T}\right). [ 6 ] . Where W exactly equals Δ\Delta F , the ratio is one and the forward distribution crosses the reflected reverse distribution; away from that point, the ratio grows exponentially in how far W departs from Δ\Delta F , which is the precise, quantitative sense in which a trajectory doing much more work than the equilibrium minimum is exponentially more typical of the forward process than of its reverse. This is the arrow of time rendered as an odds ratio rather than an inequality: not “entropy increases,” but “this particular trajectory is e(W−ΔF)/kBTe^{(W-\Delta F)/k_{\mathrm B}T} times more likely to have been produced running forward than running backward.”

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