On the origin of gravity and the laws of Newton
đź“ś Abstract
Starting from first principles and basic insights from thermodynamics and holography we derive Newton's laws of motion and gravity by regarding them as emergent phenomena. In particular, the universal nature of gravity is shown to be related to the laws of thermodynamics. We argue that inertia follows from an opposition of the tendency of matter to increase its entropy against the entropy gradients associated with other matter. As in the case of the gravitational force law, also the law of inertia can be derived from general principles such as energy conservation, the equivalence principle and by assuming the entropy formula holds. Our approach thus illuminates the connection between gravity as an entropic force and the thermodynamics of spacetime.
✨ Summary
The paper entitled “On the origin of gravity and the laws of Newton” by Erik P. Verlinde presents a theoretical approach to understanding gravity as an emergent consequence of thermodynamic principles and holographic ideas. The paper suggests that gravity is not a fundamental interaction, but rather emerges from the statistical behavior of microscopic degrees of freedom encoded on holographic screens. The work extends the concept of entropic forces to incorporate phenomena associated with gravity and inertia, building on the theoretical framework used in black hole thermodynamics.
Verlinde’s hypothesis implies that gravity results from differences in information density or entropy across spacetime, and thus connects gravity with thermodynamic laws. This perspective complements existing approaches to quantum gravity, such as string theory and loop quantum gravity, by providing a novel way to derive classic Newtonian laws from thermodynamic and holographic principles.
The paper has been influential in stimulating discussions and further investigations into the nature of gravity as an emergent phenomenon. It has sparked a broad range of research, leading to debates and additional studies examining the implications of entropic gravity for cosmological models, dark matter, and modifications of general relativity. The approach has been referenced in a variety of subsequent papers exploring alternative gravity theories, the role of entropy in cosmic evolution, and the holographic principle.
Key references that cite this work include:
- Padmanabhan, T. (2015). “Emergent Gravity Paradigm: Recent Progress.” DOI: 10.1142/S0218271815300250
- Hossenfelder, S. (2010). “Experimental Search for Quantum Gravity.” arXiv: 1003.1015
- Cai, Y.F., et al. (2011). “Entropy force’s impact on current cosmological puzzles.” Phys. Lett. B.
- Pérez, A., & Sudarsky, D. (2011). “Comments on Verlinde’s entropic force proposal for emergence of gravity.” Classical and Quantum Gravity. DOI: 10.1088/0264-9381/28/1/015001
- Li, M., et al. (2010). “Cosmology with entropic force.” arXiv: 1006.1604