(FAPP) infinity does macroscopic irreversibility from microscopic reversibility

Abstract

Infinity is central to deriving macroscopic irreversibility from reversible microscopic laws across mathematics, theoretical computer science and physics. In analysis, infinite processes—such as Dedekind cuts and Cauchy sequences—construct real numbers as equivalence classes of rational approximations, bridging discrete rationals to the continuous real line. In quantum mechanics, infinite tensor products model nested measurements, where sectorization partitions the Hilbert space into equivalence classes, reconciling unitary evolution with wavefunction collapse. In statistical mechanics, macrostates emerge as equivalence classes of microstates sharing identical macroscopic properties, providing the statistical basis for thermodynamic irreversibility despite reversible dynamics. Equivalence relations formalize For-All-Practical-Purposes (FAPP) indistinguishability, reflecting operational limits on precision and observation. Together, these examples reveal a unified framework where infinity and equivalence underpin emergent macroscopic behavior from microscopic reversibility.