From Stochastic Thermodynamics to Thermodynamic Inference

Explore a comprehensive lecture on the transition from stochastic thermodynamics to thermodynamic inference. Delve into the universal framework for analyzing nano- and micro-sized non-equilibrium systems, including single molecules, molecular machines, colloidal particles, and biochemical networks. Examine how thermodynamic concepts like work, heat, and entropy are identified at the level of individual fluctuating trajectories, and how they obey universal relations such as the fluctuation theorem. Discover thermodynamic inference as a general strategy for uncovering hidden properties of non-equilibrium systems using consistency constraints derived from stochastic thermodynamics. Investigate the thermodynamic uncertainty relation and its applications in providing lower bounds on entropy production and thermodynamic efficiency of molecular motors. Learn about waiting-time distributions in discrete Markov networks and their role in estimating entropy production and revealing network topology. Finally, explore the universal bound on the thermodynamic cost of coherent oscillations. This 43-minute talk, presented by Udo Seifert at the Erwin Schrödinger International Institute for Mathematics and Physics, was part of the Thematic Programme on "Large Deviations, Extremes and Anomalous Transport in Non-equilibrium Systems."