INFORMATION (Quantitative)
Charles François (2004). INFORMATION (Quantitative), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(1): 1671.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1671 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented |
- “The minimum… number of binary steps by which the representation concerned may be selected from an ensemble of possible representations” (D. Mac KAY, 1969, p.80, as stated by SHANNON).
This minimum number is the log$_{2}$ of the number of representations or objects included in the set.
Or the number of bits which is necessary and sufficient to diminish, up to some degree, or to totally suppress any uncertainty in the knowledge of some situation or system. See: “Information (Amount of)”.
This is why it is sometimes expressed in terms of “negative entropy”.