Effects of boundary conditions on irreversible dynamics

Abstract

We present a simple one-dimensional Ising-type spin system on which we define a completely asymmetric Markovian single spin-flip dynamics. We study the system at a very low, yet non-zero, temperature and we show that for empty boundary conditions the Gibbs measure is stationary for such dynamics, while introducing in a single site a $+$ condition the stationary measure changes drastically, with macroscopical effects. We achieve this result defining an absolutely convergent series expansion of the stationary measure around the zero temperature system. Interesting combinatorial identities are involved in the proofs.