Ergodic and chaotic hypotheses: nonequilibrium ensembles in statistical mechanics and turbulence

Abstract

The ergodic hypothesis outgrew from the ancient conception of motion as periodic or quasi periodic. It did cause a revision of our views of motion, particularly through Boltzmann and Poincaré: we discuss how Boltmann's conception of motion is still very modern and how it can provide ideas and methods to study the problem of nonequilibrium in mechanics and in fluids. This leads to the chaotic hypothesis, a recent interpretation of a very ambitious principle conceived by D. Ruelle: it is a possible extension of the ergodic hypothesis and it implies general parameterless relations. Together with further ideas, it appears to be consistent with some recent experiments as we discuss here.