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Physical basis of information and the relation to entropy٭

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Abstract

We discuss the relation between entropy and information from the physicists point of view differing between bound and free information. The quantitative physical aspects of information flow are given by flows of entropy, which are closely related to the reduction of uncertainty and the predictability of events. Free information is considered as a quantity, which has intrinsic non – physical components, and is originally created by selforganization and evolution. Bound and free information are both represented by a matter carrier but not as tight – bounded like mass or energy. Free information is connected with information – processing; it is introduced as a binary relation between a sender and a receiver, which may have different carriers, it is essentially characterized by symbolic representations. Processing free information is originally created by selforganization on the early earth and is connected with the origin of life, therefore it is always at least indirectly related to living systems.

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  1. Institute of Physics, Humboldt University, Newtonstr. 15, D-12489, Berlin, Germany

    W. Ebeling

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Correspondence to W. Ebeling.

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On the occasion of the 90th birthday of Manfred Eigen.

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Ebeling, W. Physical basis of information and the relation to entropy٭. Eur. Phys. J. Spec. Top. 226, 161–176 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjst/e2016-60366-5

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