The fluctuation theorem as a Gibbs property

Common ground to recent studies exploiting relations between dynamical syst ems and nonequilibrium statistical mechanics is. so we argue, the standard Gibbs formalism applied on the level of space-time histories. The assumptio ns (chaoticity principle) underlying the Gallavotti Cohen fluctuation theor em make it possible, using symbolic dynamics, to employ the theory of one-d imensional lattice spin systems. The Kurchan and Lebowitz Spohn analysis of this fluctuation theorem for stochastic dynamics can be restated on the le vel of the space-time measure which is a Gibbs measure for an interaction d etermined by the transition probabilities. In this note we understand the f luctuation theorem as a Gibbs property. as it follows from the very definit ion of Gibbs state. We give a local version of the fluctuation theorem in t he Gibbsian contest and we derive from this a version also fur some class o f spatially extended stochastic dynamics.