Comment on "Inferring broken detailed balance in the absence of observable currents"

Abstract

In this reply, we resolve the apparent discrepancy raised in the "Comment on Inferring broken detailed balance in the absence of observable currents" [arXiv:2112.08978v1]. We stress that the non-instantaneous transition paths originate from the choice of a decimation process non-local in time, in contrast to the decimation process described in our original work, which commutes with time-reversal. Therefore, the example using such a non-local decimation procedure, which indeed gives rise to spurious time-irreversibility, does not invalidate our main result, which was rigorously derived and proven mathematically. We hope this reply highlights the subtlety of the different choices for decimating time series data which is pivotal for a correct understanding of the thermodynamics of small systems.