LOGARITHMS: Their use in information theory 5)
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Dual logarithms (i.e. to base 2) are a measure of the number of binary decisions (BITS = binary digits) needed to suppress uncertainty in a situation.
Log2N also measures ASHBY's variety, as indicating the number of succesive choices to be made in order to obtain a precise distinction. ASHBY gives the following example: "What is the variety in bits of the 26 letters of the alphabet?" The reply is 4,7 bits. i.e. in practice 5 successive choices to be made to completely determine the position of one specified letter within the English alphabet, using yes or no answers to questions like: Is it in the first half of the alphabet? Is it in the 2nd half of the first half? etc.
Categories
- 1) General information
- 2) Methodology or model
- 3) Epistemology, ontology and semantics
- 4) Human sciences
- 5) Discipline oriented
Publisher
Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science(2020).
To cite this page, please use the following information:
Bertalanffy Center for the Study of Systems Science (2020). Title of the entry. In Charles François (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics (2). Retrieved from www.systemspedia.org/[full/url]
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