INFORMATION SPACE (Mathematics of)
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1686 ▶ |
| Object type | Methodology or model |
D. GERNERT tries to give a precise mathematical meaning to information space.
He quotes SNEDDON's general definition of space in his “Encyclopedic Dictionary of Mathematics”: “The term space is used in mathematics for any set when certain types of properties are to be discussed or when it is intended to use some sort of geometrical terminology”(2000, p. 255)
Therefrom GERNERT defines “…an information space by a set consisting of elements
(of a special kind) , together with possible relations between these elements, both the elements and the relations may vary in the course of time“.
- “An element is understood as an irreductible unit which still carries some semantic contents and particularly has the character of a statement or proposition- no matter whether…bits, bytes , characters, words, pixels, or other small parts whatsoever”(Ibid).
Further on, GERNERT describes the mathematical structure of the information space, which includes:
- standard and non standard links
- cluste r structure
- similarity metrics (internal and external)
- emerging structures in dynamical processes
Interestingly, GERNERT states in his concluding remarks that “Information spaces in the sense outlined…can be easily modeled on an ordinary PC”(Ibid, p. 261)