Some recent ideas are generalized from four dimensions to the general dimension n. Two terms of the trace anomaly in external gravity, the Euler density Gn and 2 R, are relevant to the problem of quantum irreversibility. By adding the divergence of a gauge-invariant current, Gn can be extended to a new notion of Euler density G̃n, linear in the conformal factor. We call it pondered Euler density...

Cartan's di®erential topology is used to construct a method for determining if a process applied to a physical system is thermodynamically irreversible.

Research ...nds that ...rms’ investment decisions are distorted by irreversibility and ...nance constraints. Whereas the existing literature examines the e¤ects of these features separately, this paper studies their interaction. The impact of these constraints on a ...rm’s incentive to invest is characterised using option pricing techniques. Financial constraints reduce the initial capacity, ra...