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Symmetry and information theory. (English) Zbl 1094.94014

Summary: Before information theory can be applied, we must postulate a particular model of the universe based on probability theory. We journey through the assumptions, advantages and disadvantages of the view, where the universe is an alphabet, an event, a letter, and prediction a game. There are three kinds of symmetry or similarity in such a universe: symmetries between probabilities reveal ignorance, symmetries between events reveal indifference, and symmetries between properties reveal information.

MSC:

94A15 Information theory (general)
60-XX Probability theory and stochastic processes

Keywords:

symmetry
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