[sdiy] Information Content of Signals

[Magnus Danielson]

From: Grant Richter <grichter at asapnet.net>
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Information Content of Signals
Date: Tue, 20 May 2003 22:09:49 -0500

> Magnus,

Grant,

> Thank you for taking the time to help us better understand these very subtle
> and difficult ideas!

Ah, it's my pleasure (when it is, you can really tell... ;O)!

> Please note that I am not looking to contradict Shannon (or anyone) only to
> better understand information theory that may apply to electronic music and
> music synthesizers.

Right, but I seriously think there is more to the Shannon stuff than you may
originally thought. You just have to bone out things, and this is the thought
consuming part, but it doesn't necessarilly make the theories dated, just not
well dated.

> > To the best of my knowledge Shannon only published one set of papers in 1963,
> > and that where in Russian which I do not speak or read. A clarified reference
> > would be apprechiated. The original paper of Shannon is from 1948.
> > 
> > I would kindly ask you to detail what material you are refering to, or the
> > discussion renders meaningless.
> > 
> 
> Mike Firman gave me a gift of "The Mathematical Theory of Communication" by
> Claude E. Shannon and Warren Weaver. University of Illinois Press
> (http://www.press.uillinois.edu). Original copyright is 1949. I was confused
> by the copyright of the paperback edition, which is dated 1963. Sorry.

Ah, right. Yes, I have that one. Infact, I have been pulling that out instead
of the collected works of Shannon, which is a thicker book but contains many
really good articles.

Anyway, I really recommend both books. It is worth rereading the original
article a few times for it all to "sink in".

> Would you please be kind enough to look at sections 2.3 and 2.4 of this
> webpage:
> 
> http://www.cise.ufl.edu/%7Empf/Nano97/paper.html
> 
> and tell me what you think?

Cool article, but I need to ponder over it at some other time.

> It seems to be discussing information in absolute thermodynamic terms.

It discusses specific limits, yes.

> Trying to connect the ideas in this paper with the Shannon book is what is
> confusing me.

Actually, they are just two sides of the same coin, just that this is a
particularly confusing coin.

> Once again, thank you for your help.

Well, your information theory officer at your service! ;O)

Cheers,
Magnus - just normally freaked out - for being me that is... ;O)