Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2017 / iii / Paper 310 / 3 / a / Solution

Take a homogeneous comoving cell of physical volume $V_c=a^3{V}_0$ and total entropy $S=s{V}_c$. At vanishing chemical potential, the reversible first law of thermodynamics readsFor an extensive equilibrium system, the thermodynamic Euler relation is $E=TS-P{V}_c+\mu N$. At $\mu =0$ this givesThe supplied pressure identity verifies consistency directly: $dP=(\rho +P)dT/T$ impliesThe thermodynamic Euler relation fixes the additive normalization that a differential identity alone would leave undetermined.

For adiabatic cosmological expansion, the cosmological perfect-fluid continuity equation gives $\dot{\rho }+3H(\rho +P)=0$, while ${\dot{V}}_c=3H{V}_c$. HenceThis proves cosmological entropy conservation in the stated perfect-fluid approximation. Kinetic equilibrium alone does not guarantee adiabatic evolution: entropy injection, dissipative stresses or out-of-equilibrium reactions would require additional source terms. Those effects are implicitly excluded in this calculation.