Comment on an information theoretic approach to the study of non-equilibrium steady states

Abstract

We argue that there is a fundamental problem regarding the analysis that serves as the foundation for the papers {\it Information theory explanation of the fluctuation theorem, maximum entropy production and self-organized criticality in non-equilibrium stationary states} [R. Dewar, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. {\bf 36} (2003), 631-641] and {\it Maximum entropy production and the fluctuation theorem} [R. Dewar, J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. {\bf 38} (2005), L371-L381]. In particular, we demonstrate that this analysis is based on an assumption that is physically unrealistic and that, hence, the results obtained in those papers cannot be regarded as physically meaningful.