In statistical mechanics, the ensemble average is defined as the mean of a quantity that is a function of the micro-state of a system (the ensemble of possible states), according to the distribution of the system on its micro-states in this ensemble.
Since the ensemble average is dependent on the ensemble chosen, its mathematical expression varies from ensemble to ensemble. However, the mean obtained for a given physical quantity doesn't depend on the ensemble chosen at the thermodynamic limit.
Read more about Ensemble Average: Ensemble Average in Other Ensembles
Famous quotes containing the word average:
“You preferred it to the usual thing:
One dull man, dulling and uxorious,
One average mind—with one thought less, each year.”
—Ezra Pound (1885–1972)