Equipartition principles in finite-time thermodynamics

Finite-time thermodynamics looks for the way of bringing a thermodynamic sy stem from an initial to a final state, in a finite time. Usually a function al is extremized, e.g. the total entropy creation during the process is min imized. By means of simple electric circuits (with lumped resistors and lum ped capacitors), we demonstrate that different assumptions can lead to quit e different results.