14 What is information theory?
Description
This article is from the Biological Information Theory and Chowder Society FAQ, by Thomas D. Schneider toms@ncifcrf.gov.
14 What is information theory?
Information theory is a branch of mathematics concerned with the process of
making choices. Although it has a rich history going back centuries, it was
the work of Claude Shannon, published in 1948 and later, that started the
field. The theory is powerful and has resulted in great achievements. The
beautiful sound we enjoy from compact disks (CD's) became possible only
because of Shannon's work. The bionet.info-theory news group was formed to
discuss the many applications of information theory to biology. (It is not a
general information news group as some might be mislead to think.) It is
worth at least some of your time to see why we are so excited about this
application, as it could turn your research around by sharpening your
experimental approaches.
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