Lack-of-fit reduction in the path-integral formalism (opens in new tab)

We present a new formulation of the lack-of-fit reduction in non-equilibrium thermodynamics using the path-integral formalism. The formulation is based on the Onsager-Machlup variational principle, and it allows us to find reduced dynamical equations by minimizing information discrepancy with respect to the detailed evolution. The reduced evolution consists of a Hamiltonian vector field and a gradient flow. The reduction method is illustrated on the Kac-Zwanzig model, where we show how irreve...