Does information increase in computation?

Fundamental puzzle motivating the paper: how can computation produce new information when output is logically implied by input and thermodynamics suggests information cannot increase?

Source paper

extracted_from

Information, Processes and Games

Abramsky, Samson

Neighborhood — ranked by edge-count

Claims (5)

claim

Information increase in computation arises from data reduction and making implicit information explicit, not logical increase.
answered_by
Author's proposed resolution to the information increase paradox: computation gains utility through extraction and filtering, not creation of logically new content.
Agents and their interactions are intrinsic to studying information flow in computation, not peripheral to classical information theory.
answered_by
Central thesis: traditional static information theories fail to capture dynamic interaction necessary for understanding modern computing.
Information flow and increase must be understood relative to subsystems and their interaction with environment.
answered_by
Information increase in computation is observer-dependent, relative to the computational direction chosen.
answered_by
Extension of information dynamics: direction of information increase (e.g., forward multiplication vs. reverse factorization) depends on observer's goals.
Information can increase in computation only relative to subsystems and observers
gates
The author argues that while total system information is conserved (thermodynamic), computation gains information for the observer by making implicit information explicit and discarding irrelevant data.

Frameworks (1)

framework

Information Dynamics
gates
Proposed theoretical framework combining qualitative and quantitative aspects of information, with explicit treatment of processes and information flow; central organizing concept for the paper.

Related by similarity (8)

cosine ≥ 0.65 · no typed edge

Entities in the same semantic neighborhood but without a typed relation to this one — candidates for new edges or unrecognized duplicates.

information increase in computationconcept0.943
The puzzle that computation appears to gain information despite logical closure; resolved by relative to subsystems/observers.
How can information increase in computation if output is logically implied by input?question0.861
The direction of information increase is relative to the observer or user of the computationclaim0.822
Example: 3×5→15 is a natural computation, but 15→3×5 (prime factorization) is also useful, showing that the 'gain' depends on the choice of normal form.
Why do we compute? The natural answer is: to gain information (which we did not previously have)! But how is this possible?concept0.758
Opening framing of the central puzzle driving the entire investigation into information dynamics.
Making information explicit—extracting normal forms from computation.claim0.756
When intelligence enhancing processes occur, they involve an increase in the corresponding factor of care.hypothesis0.750
Converse predictive relation—intelligence improvements increase care.
"Why do we compute? The natural answer is: to gain information (which we did not previously have)!"concept0.740
When care is amplified, intelligence is likely to increase as well.hypothesis0.738
A predictive relation between care and intelligence enhancement.