CONDENSATION
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 595 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
The reduction of redundancy in a message.
As some messages are very redundant, condensation may be quite useful for an optimal use of the channel as well as for the decoder's job.
However, a total elimination of any redundancy is dangerous, because the slightess noise in the channel would impair the understanding of the message for the receiver.
According to R. ACKOFF and F. EMERY, condensation may either “reduce the receiving time required” (using a digest of the message), or “provide a brief description of its content” (using an abstract).
A third way seems sometimes available, somehow equivalent to the second one, at least for suitably organized or trained systems: use one brief conventional sign or symbol representative of the whole message. Roads signposts are symbols of this kind.