NEW VARIATIONAL APPROACH IN THE THEORY OF NONEQUILIBRIUM STATIONARY-PROCESSES

The variation principle by Nakano in the quantum theory of transport processes is reformulated in the form of Hamilton's principle in classical mechanics, which provides us with a new possibility of studying nonequilibrium steady states if we can distinguish the phenomenological currents from the driving forces. From the form of the variation principle, Nakano's variation principle becomes evident by inspection.