Palacios, Patricia (2019) Phase Transitions: A Challenge for Intertheoretic Reduction? [Preprint]
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Abstract
In this paper, I analyze the extent to which classical phase transitions,
both first-order and continuous, pose a challenge for intertheoretic
reduction. My main contention is that phase transitions are
compatible with reduction, at least with a notion of inter-theoretic
reduction that combines Nagelian reduction and what Nickles (1973)
called reduction2. I also argue that, even if the same approach to reduction
applies to both types of phase transitions, there is a crucial
difference in their physical treatment. In fact, in addition to the thermodynamic
limit, in the case of continuous phase transitions there is
a second infinite limit involved that is related with the number of iterations
in the renormalization group transformation. I contend that
the existence of this second limit, which has been largely underappreciated
in the philosophical debate, marks an important difference in
the reduction of first-order and continuous phase transitions and also
in the justification of the idealizations involved in these two cases.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Keywords: | Phase Transitions, Thermodynamic Limit, Reduction, Continuous Phase Transitions | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Condensed Matter General Issues > Philosophers of Science Specific Sciences > Physics |
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| Depositing User: | Ms. Patricia Palacios | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 12 May 2019 01:56 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 12 May 2019 01:56 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 15998 | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Physics > Condensed Matter General Issues > Philosophers of Science Specific Sciences > Physics |
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| Date: | 2019 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/15998 |
Available Versions of this Item
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Phase Transitions: A Challenge for Intertheoretic Reduction? (deposited 03 May 2019 21:56)
- Phase Transitions: A Challenge for Intertheoretic Reduction? (deposited 12 May 2019 01:56) [Currently Displayed]
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