Thermodynamic aspects of communication and information processing systems

Abstract

Thermodynamic theory, and in particular the second law of thermodynamics, can be applied to examine the processes of generation, transmission, processing and reception of information according to the concept of physical representation of information and the principle of increasing entropy. Thus, communication processes and systems can be seen, similar to many other processes and systems in the nature, as dissipative transformations that level differences in energy density between participating subsystems and their surroundings. This paper shows analogies between communication and information processing systems and thermodynamic systems. Several concepts and methods for the treatment of communication systems as dissipative processes are reviewed.