On the Crooks fluctuation theorem and the Jarzynski equality

The Jarzynski equality (JE) and the undergirding Crooks fluctuation theorem (CFT) have generated intense interest recently among researchers in physical and biological sciences. It has been held that the CFT has wider applicability than the JE. This note shows that the two are equally applicable and that their applicability is possibly limited to near-equilibrium processes, where the linear fluctuation-dissipation theorem holds. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.