Stable Steady State and the Thermokinetic Potential

Abstract

The mathematical postulate of Carathéodory for the existence of the entropy function is shown to be a direct consequence of the physical postulate of the existence of a stable equilibrium state for any given set of state variables. Similarly, the existence of thermokinetic potential is shown to be a direct consequence of the physical postulate of the existence of a stable steady state for any given set of nonequilibrium state variables.