Photo by scottwebb from unsplash
The Boltzmann distribution family describes a single parameter (temperature) class of probability distributions over a state space; at any given temperature, the ratio of probabilities of two states depends exponentially… Click to show full abstract
The Boltzmann distribution family describes a single parameter (temperature) class of probability distributions over a state space; at any given temperature, the ratio of probabilities of two states depends exponentially on their difference in energy. Beyond physics, this distribution family is very popular in many important disciplines, under different names with different interpretations. Such widespread use in diverse fields suggests a common conceptual structure. We identify such a structure on the basis of few natural axioms that can be statistically tested. Our axiomatic characterization thus provides alternative empirical tests of the Boltzmannian modeling theories.
Journal Title: Journal of Statistical Mechanics: Theory and Experiment
Year Published: 2020
Link to full text (if available)
Share on Social Media: Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!