The logics and boundary concepts of information acquisition

Stanley Ozog

Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 1979, vol. 30, issue 6, 364-367

Abstract: Based on the concept of a set of mutually exclusive alternatives, the process of acquisition of knowledge is explained as a change from logical sum to logical product proposition. It is shown further that the definitions of the concept of information and ignorance can be derived from the basic concept of the mutually exclusive set and the definition of information acquisition. It is then demonstrated that other concepts essential in information theory can be defined and explained on the basis of the theory of information acquisition as presented in this article in a consistent way. It is further demonstrated that any nonmutually exclusive set can be converted to a mutually exclusive one, therefore a set of mutually exclusive alternatives represents a boundary concept that can form a foundation for information theory. The concept of a priori knowledge can be explained as a concept of a one‐alternative set and by that it forms another boundary where acquisition of information is no longer necessary. This way there are two boundary concepts in information theory and other concepts are then defined from them. They include the definition of the concept of problem and the concept of so‐called general statements, the role and function of prior knowledge and deductive reasoning in design of mutually exclusive sets, the function of our senses, their substitutes, and the concept of so‐called sixth sense as their boundary concept. Finally the concepts of the amount of information and ignorance and their measures are presented.

Date: 1979
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