Speed Limit for Classical Stochastic Processes

Speed limit for classical stochastic Markov processes with discrete states is studied. We find that a trade-off inequality exists between the speed of the state transformation and the entropy production. The dynamical activity determines the time scale and plays a crucial role in the inequality. For systems with stationary current, a similar trade-off inequality with the Hatano-Sasa entropy production gives a much better bound on the speed of the state transformation. Our inequalities contain only physically well-defined quantities, and thus the physical picture of these inequalities is clear.