General Theory Of Information Research Articles

Which entropy for general physical theories?

We address the problem of quantifying the information content of a source for an arbitrary information theory, where the information content is defined in terms of the asymptotic achievable compression rate. The functions that solve this problem in classical and quantum theory are Shannon's and von Neumann's entropy, respectively. However, in a general information theory there are three different functions that extend the notion of entropy, and this opens the question as to whether any of them can universally play the role of the quantifier for the information content. Here we answer the question in the negative, by evaluating the information content as well as the various entropic functions in a toy theory called Bilocal Classical Theory.

Information and Biblical Logos Revisited

ABSTRACT The paper discusses how modern theories of information converge with the Biblical concept of Logos. We begin with a condensed review of the various concepts of information. We then present some informational interpretations of Biblical Logos and compare them with modern theories of information, specifically the general theory of information (GTI). In closing, we point out some aspects of this study that warrant further analysis. Our informational interpretations of Biblical Logos are based on a paper by Henrik Gregersen.

Analysis of the Effect of High-Simulation Teaching on Nursing Students' Learning of Nursing Knowledge on Double J Tubes after Ureteral Soft Scope Lithotomy.

To study the effect of high-simulation teaching on nursing students' learning knowledge related to stoma tube care after ureteral flexible mirror lithotripsy. A total of 80 nursing students who were admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were selected as the study objects. They were divided into the control group (traditional teaching) and observation group (high-simulation teaching based on traditional teaching) in accordance with teaching method. General demographic information and specialty theory, Objective Structured Clinical Examination, Chinese Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory, Teaching Quality Evaluation Scale and System for Evaluation of Teaching Qualities scores were collected from both groups of nursing students. Data were analysed with t- and chi-square tests. The general demographics of the two groups were not statistically significantly different (p > 0.05). No significant differences in examination scores, clinical skills, thinking skills, teaching quality and nursing students' satisfaction were found between the two groups before teaching (p > 0.05). Examination scores, clinical skills, thinking skills, teaching quality and nursing students' satisfaction were higher in the observation group than in the control group after teaching (p < 0.05). High-simulation teaching can effectively improve theoretical and clinical skill examination results, strengthen critical thinking, and improve teaching quality and nursing students' overall satisfaction with teaching. Therefore, it has application value.

Information: Modern Concepts

The paper reappraises our understanding of information without favoring any specific perspective. The paper presents the various conceptualizations of information, including biological information, natural information, pragmatic information, physical information, quantum information, quantified information, relative information, semantic information, semiotic information, epistemic information, ontological information, and syntactic information, together with some of their variants. In the search for a unifying perspective on information, the paper looks at two general theories of information: the General Definition of Information (GDI) and the General Theory of Information (GTI), arguing that the GTI appears to be the better of these two options. The paper is intended to be as complete and comprehensive as possible, sacrificing the analytical part (that may be found in referred sources) for the breadth of coverage.

From philosophy in science to information in nature: Michael Heller’s ideas

This paper discusses the concept of information formulated by Michael (Michał) Heller. Heller—a philosopher, theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and theologian—provided a complex image of information and its role in nature, which is rarely found in studies of information. Heller posited that the laws of nature may be interpreted as information, or as providing information, presenting this as a complementary view to scientific structuralism (not discussed in this paper). According to Heller, the informational content of a structure in nature is inversely proportional to that structure’s degree of freedom. The more constrained or complex a structure is, and the less likely it is to exist, the more information it contains. In Heller’s view, the concept of information in Shannon’s Theory of Communication (ToC) is inadequate for expressing the notion of information beyond a numerical measure of a signal structure. Information in Heller’s research closely aligns with the concepts of Jacquette’s and Perzanowski’s combinatorial ontology (concepts not discussed in this paper) and the general theory of information (GTI) of Mark Burgin, although Heller did not explicitly make these connections.

Effective Information Management Model in Implementing PT Polytama Propindo's CSR Program

One of the implications of mandatory CSR implementation in Indonesia is informing the community (disclose) about CSR implementation and company stakeholders. The problem analyzed in this research is the negative perception of the surrounding community towards the company, which in turn leads to problems in managing and disclosing information. The research problem was analyzed using General System Theory (GST) and Organizational Information Theory (Karl Weick). GST leads to an understanding that companies and society, including other stakeholders, are one unit (holism). Organizational Information Theory (Karl Weick) is used to analyze how companies overcome ambiguity in the input they receive from the external environment. This research uses a postpositivism paradigm and a qualitative approach. The method used is a case study with a single case multilevel analysis model. The research results show that PT Polytama Propindo has implemented CSR as proven by successfully obtaining PROPER Green Rating (2018, 2019) and Gold Rating (2020, 2021, 2022). However, other findings in this research seem to negate PT Polytama's achievements in implementing CSR, because the community around the company area (Limbangan Village) still has a negative perception of the company. The finding of input (negative perception) from PT Polytama's external environment led to other research findings, namely regarding the importance of building an empowerment program as an "alternative way" for two-way communication with the community in Limbangan Village. This finding is also the output of PT Polytama's efforts to unravel the ambiguity behind the negative perceptions of the Limbangan Village community.Keywords: CSR, PROPER, Perception, Information Processing, Disclosure, PT Polytama Propindo

Mark Burgin’s Legacy: The General Theory of Information, the Digital Genome, and the Future of Machine Intelligence

With 500+ papers and 20+ books spanning many scientific disciplines, Mark Burgin has left an indelible mark and legacy for future explorers of human thought and information technology professionals. In this paper, I discuss his contribution to the evolution of machine intelligence using his general theory of information (GTI) based on my discussions with him and various papers I co-authored during the past eight years. His construction of a new class of digital automata to overcome the barrier posed by the Church–Turing Thesis, and his contribution to super-symbolic computing with knowledge structures, cognizing oracles, and structural machines are leading to practical applications changing the future landscape of information systems. GTI provides a model for the operational knowledge of biological systems to build, operate, and manage life processes using 30+ trillion cells capable of replication and metabolism. The schema and associated operations derived from GTI are also used to model a digital genome specifying the operational knowledge of algorithms executing the software life processes with specific purposes using replication and metabolism. The result is a digital software system with a super-symbolic computing structure exhibiting autopoietic and cognitive behaviors that biological systems also exhibit. We discuss here one of these applications.

Fact or fake? The search for truth in an infodemic of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation with deepfake and fake news

ABSTRACT This article aims to shed light on the infodemic of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation in the digital era of a new normal where deepfake and fake news are omnipresent. To do so, this article establishes a general theory of information and engages in big data analytics involving a scientometrics (bibliometrics) analysis with topic modeling of the major trends in the field. In doing so, this article reveals three noteworthy findings. First, infodemic is multifaceted in terms of its content, platform, manifestation, and solution. Second, infodemic research delivers the richest insights on misinformation, followed by fake news, disinformation, infodemic solutions, and malinformation. Third, interest in the dissemination of false information is greater than its creation, with the task of ascertaining the intrinsic elements (e.g. maliciousness in disinformation and malinformation) being more challenging than that of extrinsic elements (e.g. truth of misinformation). The article concludes with implications for theory and practice as well as directions for future research.

An Inquiry Concerning the Persistence of Physical Information

Physical information is a property of nature. How does physical information persist over time? Does it do so as an object, process, or event, which are things considered in the current persistence theories? Physical information is none of these, however, this implies that persistence theories cannot explain the persistence of information. We therefore study the persistence of snowflakes, ephemeral natural structures, to better understand the persistence of natural things, such as physical information. The transitory nature of snowflakes suggests that physical information persists as nature’s latent order, therefore, it is associated with natural structures, but it is not identical to them. This interpretation preserves the properties attributed to physical information, particularly its foundational character. The concept of physical information as latent order accords with Burgin’s General Theory of Information (GTI), which is currently the most comprehensive conceptualization of information that has been proposed.

Seven Layers of Computation: Methodological Analysis and Mathematical Modeling

We live in an information society where the usage, creation, distribution, manipulation, and integration of information is a significant activity. Computations allow us to process information from various sources in various forms and use the derived knowledge in improving efficiency and resilience in our interactions with each other and with our environment. The general theory of information tells us that information to knowledge is as energy is to matter. Energy has the potential to create or modify material structures and information has the potential to create or modify knowledge structures. In this paper, we analyze computations as a vital technological phenomenon of contemporary society which allows us to process and use information. This analysis allows building classifications of computations based on their characteristics and explication of new types of computations. As a result, we extend the existing typologies of computations by delineating novel forms of information representations. While the traditional approach deals only with two dimensions of computation—symbolic and sub-symbolic, here we describe additional dimensions, namely, super-symbolic computation, hybrid computation, fused computation, blended computation, and symbiotic computation.

Infusing Autopoietic and Cognitive Behaviors into Digital Automata to Improve Their Sentience, Resilience, and Intelligence

All living beings use autopoiesis and cognition to manage their “life” processes from birth through death. Autopoiesis enables them to use the specification in their genomes to instantiate themselves using matter and energy transformations. They reproduce, replicate, and manage their stability. Cognition allows them to process information into knowledge and use it to manage its interactions between various constituent parts within the system and its interaction with the environment. Currently, various attempts are underway to make modern computers mimic the resilience and intelligence of living beings using symbolic and sub-symbolic computing. We discuss here the limitations of classical computer science for implementing autopoietic and cognitive behaviors in digital machines. We propose a new architecture applying the general theory of information (GTI) and pave the path to make digital automata mimic living organisms by exhibiting autopoiesis and cognitive behaviors. The new science, based on GTI, asserts that information is a fundamental constituent of the physical world and that living beings convert information into knowledge using physical structures that use matter and energy. Our proposal uses the tools derived from GTI to provide a common knowledge representation from existing symbolic and sub-symbolic computing structures to implement autopoiesis and cognitive behaviors.

Политическая коммуникативистика: эволюция понимания роли информации в политическом процессе

Introduction. The article is a survey study, the purpose of which is to analyze the evolution of concepts in the field of political сommunicativistics, aimed at understanding the role of information in the system of political processes from the middle of the 20th Century to the present day. Methods and materials. As the main toolkit for working with scientific texts, methods of qualitative text analysis, focused on the study of the conceptual description of social problems, aspects of the interaction between government and society were used. As materials for the analysis, the texts of Russian and foreign scientists devoted to the study of the role of information in public administration and in political processes and published in one of the leading scientific periodicals or central scientific publishing houses were used. Analysis. The article establishes the objective factors of enhancing scientific research in the subject area of political сommunicativistics in the 20th Century, examines the modern understanding of the role of information in the processes of public administration, the influence of the general information theory and the cybernetic approach on the development of Russian political communication. Result. Modern political science concepts do not demonstrate a unified understanding of the “information future” image that emerges under the influence of the “digital revolution”. The range of approaches is wide, from the libertarian assumption of a gradual weakening of the state functions and the transition to direct democracy, when citizens are in direct contact with each other using the technologies of the information and communication system of Internet and do not need the mediation of professional state administrators, to the revival of totalitarian forms of government based on control over information flows. The tendency of Russian scientists to correlate with the trends of state policy, shifting their research topics to the political aspects of information security, social networks and the activity of opposition public associations on the Internet, was revealed as the dominant trend at the current stage. This trend is ambiguous – it corresponds to the nature of modern challenges and threats in the information sphere, but in the future it can negatively affect the volume and quality of fundamental theoretical developments, and decrease the interest in them.

The Entropy Universe.

About 160 years ago, the concept of entropy was introduced in thermodynamics by Rudolf Clausius. Since then, it has been continually extended, interpreted, and applied by researchers in many scientific fields, such as general physics, information theory, chaos theory, data mining, and mathematical linguistics. This paper presents The Entropy Universe, which aims to review the many variants of entropies applied to time-series. The purpose is to answer research questions such as: How did each entropy emerge? What is the mathematical definition of each variant of entropy? How are entropies related to each other? What are the most applied scientific fields for each entropy? We describe in-depth the relationship between the most applied entropies in time-series for different scientific fields, establishing bases for researchers to properly choose the variant of entropy most suitable for their data. The number of citations over the past sixteen years of each paper proposing a new entropy was also accessed. The Shannon/differential, the Tsallis, the sample, the permutation, and the approximate entropies were the most cited ones. Based on the ten research areas with the most significant number of records obtained in the Web of Science and Scopus, the areas in which the entropies are more applied are computer science, physics, mathematics, and engineering. The universe of entropies is growing each day, either due to the introducing new variants either due to novel applications. Knowing each entropy’s strengths and of limitations is essential to ensure the proper improvement of this research field.

Теоретичне обґрунтування управління функціонуванням технічними та транспортними системами на основі методів системної теорії інформації

In the work from the theoretical point of view the management of functioning of transport and operation of technical systems on the basis of a method of the system theory of information is substantiated. The state vector and matrix on the basis of diagnostic information and sensitivity of influence of diagnostic parameters on a condition of transport or technical systems are offered. The properties of sensitivity (sensitivity) are reflected on the basis of classical and generalized information formulas of A. Kharkevich, K. Shannon, R. Hartley. The coefficients of quantum (emergence) of information according to the expressions of Shannon-Kharkevich and Hartley are used, the level of complexity of the changed states of the control system is taken into account. The scheme of connections of classical and generalized formulas which reflect functions of density of the diagnostic information on a condition of technical and transport systems is constructed. A universal numerical method and tools for it have been developed, which allows to perform information calculations on the basis of diagnostic data of the state of the studied objects. Numerical calculation refers to the sensitivity of the state (sensitivity factor) of technical and transport systems. The level of system organization of transport and technical systems and their management as active objects is considered. It is noted that the principle of correspondence is fulfilled, which is mandatory for a more general information theory. The system modification is implemented using the Hartley formula, and the modification in the classical case is the Kharkevich formula. It is determined that the semantic information model allows for small samples and comparison of partial criteria to well substantiate the interpretations of object state recognition, developed by the vectors of their classes. It is revealed that the semantic information model combines the advantages of meaningful and statistical models created for the implementation of the automated system of cognitive analysis of transport and technical systems. The behavior of systems is revealed when they are completely deterministic and completely random, which is important in predicting their state.

Comparitive consideration of linguocultural types “father”: “pastor” in Russian and American linguocultures

Problem of linguocultural types has been one of the important current directions of research. The article deals with the linguocultural types “father” (in Russian linguoculture) and “pastor” (in American linguoculture), their comparative consideration is conducted. Comparative consideration of linguo-cultural types “father” and “pastor” seems to be important for linguoculturology, linguoconcepology and general theory of discourse because it allows to add to the general theory of linguocultural types information about nationally specific types in Russian and American linguocultures. The relevance of the study can be explained, firstly, by the significance of the linguo-cultural types “father” and “pastor” for creation of a comprehensive picture of religious discourse, secondly, linguocultural types “father” and “pastor” are important not only in the sphere of a particular social institution – religious discourse – but have important place in national Russian and American linguocultures in general. It seems important to conduct comparative consideration of linguocultural types close in content and significance in different linguocultures in order to define their general characteristics and differences and, as a result to improve process of intercultural communication of the representatives of different linguocultures. The general notion for the linguocultural types under consideration is the notion “clergyman” which has general characteristics of the linguotypes considered. Comparative consideration of linguocultural types “father” and “pastor” was conducted according to such characteristics as appearance, age, gender, occupation, family, values. Study showed that linguocultural type is greatly influenced by national specifics of linguocultural type. The material was provided by samples of sermons, as well as guides to worship in Russian and English. To conduct the study methods of semantic, contextual, comparative analysis were used.

A Dialogue Concerning the Essence and Role of Information in the World System

The goal of this paper is to represent two approaches to the phenomenon of information, explicating its nature and essence. In this context, Mark Burgin demonstrates how the general theory of information (GTI) describes and elucidates the phenomenon of information by explaining the axiomatic foundations for information studies and presenting the comprising mathematical theory of information. The perspective promoted by Jaime F. Cárdenas-García is based on Gregory Bateson’s description of information as “difference which makes a difference” and involves the process of info-autopoiesis as a sensory commensurable, self-referential feedback process.

Discerning Potential and Impact Information

This paper contains further analysis of the concept of information aimed at discovering new features of this mysterious but very important phenomenon. We base our analysis on the general theory of information and contemporary theoretical physics. This approach allows for the explication of two basic complementary types of information—potential and impact information. In such a way, we achieve a better understanding of information as a natural and social phenomenon, which serves as a base for developing novel tools for measuring information.

Generalizing Information to the Evolution of Rational Belief.

Information theory provides a mathematical foundation to measure uncertainty in belief. Belief is represented by a probability distribution that captures our understanding of an outcome’s plausibility. Information measures based on Shannon’s concept of entropy include realization information, Kullback–Leibler divergence, Lindley’s information in experiment, cross entropy, and mutual information. We derive a general theory of information from first principles that accounts for evolving belief and recovers all of these measures. Rather than simply gauging uncertainty, information is understood in this theory to measure change in belief. We may then regard entropy as the information we expect to gain upon realization of a discrete latent random variable. This theory of information is compatible with the Bayesian paradigm in which rational belief is updated as evidence becomes available. Furthermore, this theory admits novel measures of information with well-defined properties, which we explored in both analysis and experiment. This view of information illuminates the study of machine learning by allowing us to quantify information captured by a predictive model and distinguish it from residual information contained in training data. We gain related insights regarding feature selection, anomaly detection, and novel Bayesian approaches.

Assessment of information content and optimization of the parameters of a plan for medical-biological diagnostic experiment

The task of the information content of the model of diagnostic medical-biological experiment planning is solved in the article. For this purpose, a detailed analysis of medical diagnostic tasks, including routine ones, was carried out. This analysis showed the necessity of planning such experiments using the information content or risk levels of the first and second types as a criterion. On the basis of the general theory of information, an information model of such an experiment for the case of two diagnosed states has been developed in the work. This model makes possible to quantify the information content of the experiment based on the specified parameters of the experimental design. For automatic information systems with training while working, a model is proposed that takes into account the number of training samples. The obtained models allowed to perform a study of the diagnostic experiment plan for the effect of the plan parameters on the resulting amount of the expected information. Besides, the proposed models allowed optimizing the parameters of the diagnostic experiment plan for the minimum average risk. In the work, the information theory of control and diagnostic solutions for the planning of a medical-biological experiment was further developed by creating mathematical models for obtaining the amount of information, taking into account the type of the experiment design, which allowed to maximize this information by selecting the plan parameters.

Information Ecology in the Context of General Ecology

The ecological approach studied in this paper is a new level of information studies. It allows for achieving a better understanding of information processes in society as well as more efficient creation of information processing systems. At first, in Section 2, we describe and analyze ecological studies in different areas ranging from biology to technology to sociology to knowledge and information. Then, in Section 3, we present elements of general ecology building methodological and philosophical foundation for information ecology. In Section 4 and Section 5, we elaborate a concise definition of information ecology and further develop information ecology as a methodological base for information studies in general based on the concepts and principles of the general theory of information.