Insight into entropy

Abstract

What is the qualitative character of entropy? Several examples from statistical mechanics (including liquid crystal reentrant phases, two different lattice gas models, and the game of poker) demonstrate facets of this difficult question and point toward an answer. The common answer of “entropy as disorder” is regarded here as inadequate. An alternative but equally problematic analogy is “entropy as freedom.” Neither simile is perfect, but if both are used cautiously and not too literally, then the combination provides considerable insight.