List, Sung
On Apr 4, 2015, at 12:22 AM, Sungchul Ji wrote: > (18) "The concept of entropy has had a long and interesting history, > beginning with its implicit introduction by Carnot to its explicit > formalization as a state function by Clausius to its statistical treatment by > Boltzmann and Gibbs to its application to communications theory by Shannon > (Shannon and Weaver 1949). The latter achievement has seemed to several > scientists a true generalization of the entropy conception, its freeing from > the particular disciplinary framework of thermodynamics for application to > probability distributions generally (Gatlin 1972; Yockey 1977). This mistaken > belief is a major impediment to productive communication between > thermodynamics and information theory, and we will examine it carefully." [3, > p. 177]. > In my initial response to your request, I mentioned books in the 1970's and 1980's that had slipped from my memory. Your response identities two of them. The book by Gatlin was critical at the time. The book by Yockey, a personal friend, was important at the time but was seriously flawed and is seldom referenced. Another book from this period, by Wickens, was studied for many months and remains worthy on mediation. Parenthetically, I would add that the meaning of the term "entropy", once only used in a strict mathematical sense that was supported by physical measurements, has been decimated beyond any meaningful utility. It is a prime example of the loss of specific meaning of a scientific term when other disciplines seek to extend it to their form/method of inquiry. Further comment. In view of the vast perplexity of the unity of nature, predictive science demands clear and unambiguous usage of language and mathematics in order to comprehend and validate empirical evidence. Technologists recognize the economic importance of this. BTW, in view of the maladroit usage of relational terminology, I recently coined the phrase, motivated by the perplex sortal logic of chemistry, and in a minor way by CSP's trichotomony, "economy of relations." It will play a substantial role in my book on Organic Mathematics. Cheers Jerry
----------------------------- PEIRCE-L subscribers: Click on "Reply List" or "Reply All" to REPLY ON PEIRCE-L to this message. PEIRCE-L posts should go to [email protected] . To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message not to PEIRCE-L but to [email protected] with the line "UNSubscribe PEIRCE-L" in the BODY of the message. More at http://www.cspeirce.com/peirce-l/peirce-l.htm .
