Dear John, Dear All, It seems clear that Michael Leyton has the greatest credit to be the inventor of the concept of information as asymmetry.
During my reading and writing about Gibbs paradox, I saw the definition of "entropy as symmetry" (or "information as asymmetry") is a good one. However, another quantitative definition is obviously easier to manage: I defined "information as compressed data". As a chemist, I have been trying very hard to set up an axiomatic formula of symmetry, entropy and stability to solve problems in chemistry. The task is truly very big and my efforts may have stirred up more problems than it appeared to have solved. This is the main reason that I launched a couple of journals, see the editorials at http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/1/1/1/pdf/ and http://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/1/1/1/pdf/. I am using my expertise as a publisher to launch another related journal called Information (ISSN 2075-1710, http://www.mdpi.com/journal/information). Top scientists on this mailing list are invited again to serve on the editorial board of Information (ISSN 2075-1710) or be the Editor-in-Chief. A special issue "What Is Information?" (Guest edited by Mark Burgin) will be published, see the http://www.mdpi.com/journal/information/special_issues/whatisinfo website. There will be three journals: Entropy (ISSN 1099-4300, http://www.mdpi.com/journal/entropy) Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994, http://www.mdpi.com/journal/symmetry) Information (ISSN 2075-1710, http://www.mdpi.com/journal/information) (Only the title "Asymmetry" is missing. I may start this journal also if this one word title is not occupied yet.) Another special issue is "Entropy, Order and Symmetry", http://www.mdpi.com/journal/symmetry/special_issues/entropy-symmetry. I sincerely welcome you to contribute your paper and bring some progress to the studies of this topic. Recently my main interest is "sustainability". I read a lot on this topic during the recent months. Sustainability is also connected to symmetry and stability. Your guys may also publish in this journal at http://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability. Comparing to those bad guys who are depleting material resources to make global warm, the guys here working on information, data, knowledge, etc., are all very lovely. Best regards, Shu-Kun John Collier wrote: > Thanks. I still maintain my student carried this idea much further then > anyone > before. > > As I said before, priority in such issues issues is very hard to establish. I > think that Michael Scriven was well ahead on these ideas. He is now known as > Tal > Scriven. His ideas date much earlier than 1992, to say the least. I first > encountered them in 1971 at MIT. > John > > > > John > > At 05:49 PM 2009/11/14, David Weiss wrote: >> The inventor of the concept of Information as Asymmetry is >> Michael Leyton in his enormous book 640 pages >> Symmetry,Causality, Mind (MIT Press, 1992). >> >> Furthermore: Leyton invented the concept of the >> causal basis of information. >> >> In addition, Leyton's book A Generative Theory of Shape >> in Springer (2001), invents an enormous mathematical theory >> of information as asymmetry. >> >> Leyton's work is used by scientists in over 40 disciplines. >> His theorems are used 1000s of times a minute all around the world. >> >> Also, because of the importance of his work he was awarded a major prize from >> the president of the united states. >> >> >> >> >> *Symmetry Causality Mind. By Michael Leyton. MIT Press 1992: Berlin. * >> >> >> >> *A Generative Theory of Shape. By Michael Leyton. MIT Press 2001.* >> >> >> >> >> >> best wishes >> David Weiss >> >> >> > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Professor John Collier colli...@ukzn.ac.za > Philosophy and Ethics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041 South Africa > T: +27 (31) 260 3248 / 260 2292 F: +27 (31) 260 3031 > http://www.ukzn.ac.za/undphil/collier/index.html _______________________________________________ fis mailing list fis@listas.unizar.es https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
