The Second Law of Thermodynamics and the Accumulation Theorem

Abstract

In Serrin's proof of the Accumulation Theorem, the presence of an ideal gas G is assumed. In 1979 at the University of Naples, Serrin (allegedly) proved that the ideal system G can be replaced by a more general ideal system and still have the Accumulation Theorem hold. In this paper, we attempt to reconstruct Serrin's proof and supply a proof for a more general theorem stated in a paper of Coleman, Owen and Serrin.