Re: [FIS] General remark

We cannot consider a concept as a variable. Simply because a concept is not measured in bits, grams, joules, etc. And a variable always is.

We may, instead, associate variables with a concept, these variables describing certain measurable aspects of a concept. Similarly to the concept of matter, the variables for which represent mass, density, structural parameters, etc, etc.

This is the key point, in my opinion. Information is a concept. And what we call information in Shannon's definition is, in fact, a variable associated with the concept of information. One of many possible variables.

Igor
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Loet Leydesdorff
  To: 'Igor Rojdestvenski' ; fis@listas.unizar.es
  Sent: Friday, October 27, 2006 9:17 PM
  Subject: RE: [FIS] General remark

    And to reiterate again. We are talking about information as a concept, or as a variable? If we talk variable, we should be aware of the above listed limitations. If we talk concept, than Shannon-Boltzmann is a misunderstanding, in the same way, as the object as a whole and the mass of an object (in kilograms) are not the same.

  We can consider a concept as a variable which is measured at the nominal level, that is, in terms of descriptors. The advantage of Shannon's (not Boltzmann's) definition seems to me that it formalizes information as a variable. It can be provided with meaning, namely: uncertainty. However, this meaning is not yet substantive like the information impact of a meaningful information on the stock exchange. Meaning can only be provided to the Shannon-type information by a system.

  With best wishes,

  Loet

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  Loet Leydesdorff
  Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR)
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  loet@leydesdorff.net ; http://www.leydesdorff.net/

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Received on Sat Oct 28 09:19:17 2006