Category: Musings

Entropy in Information Theory and Dreaming

~ quantumdreamer ~ Leave a comment

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This from Wikipedia

Entropy { Information Theory}

In information theory, the entropy of a random variable quantifies the average level of uncertainty or information associated with the variable’s potential states or possible outcomes. This measures the expected amount of information needed to describe the state of the variable, considering the distribution of probabilities across all potential states.

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Entropy in information theory is directly analogous to the entropy in statistical thermodynamics. The analogy results when the values of the random variable designate energies of microstates, so Gibbs’s formula for the entropy is formally identical to Shannon’s formula. Entropy has relevance to other areas of mathematics such as combinatorics and machine learning. The definition can be derived from a set of axioms establishing that entropy should be a measure of how informative the average outcome of a variable is. For a continuous random variable, differential entropy is analogous to entropy.

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Introduction

The core idea of information theory is that the “informational value” of a communicated message depends on the degree to which the content of the message is surprising. If a highly likely event occurs, the message carries very little information. On the other hand, if a highly unlikely event occurs, the message is much more informative. For instance, the knowledge that some particular number will not be the winning number of a lottery provides very little information, because any particular chosen number will almost certainly not win. However, knowledge that a particular number will win a lottery has high informational value because it communicates the occurrence of a very low probability event.

The information content, also called the surprisal or self-information, of an event E is a function that increases as the probability of an event p(E) decreases. When p(E) is close to one the surprisal of an event is low, if p(E) is close to zero then the surprisal of an event if it occurs is high.

There is zero surprise when the probability is one.

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Are dreams high entropy?

What happens when p(E) is close to zero?

And do dreams contain information of high informational value?

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On and off over the years I have had “intuitional discomfort” about the notion of quantum superposition states. Is it physics or our description of physics? Are we making an ersatz by making a quantum supposition, a sticking plaster for some deeper physics we do not yet understand. It does look a bit of a hotch-potch.

Quantum physics has a God-like quality which dare not be questioned…

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From Microsoft Quantum

Superposition is a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics, describing the condition in which a quantum system can exist in multiple states or configurations simultaneously. Classical bits can exist in two possible states, typically labeled as “0” and “1”. In contrast, because a qubit is a quantum mechanical system, it can exist in the “0” state, the “1” state, or any state that is a linear combination of 0 and 1.

Mathematically, superposition is a linear combination of “0” and “1” and can be written as:

     |ψ⟩ = α|0⟩ + β|1⟩

where |ψ⟩ is the state of the qubit, |0⟩ and |1⟩ are the basis states (or the computational basis states), and α and β are complex numbers called probability amplitudes. The probability amplitudes determine the probability of measuring the qubit in either state when a measurement is made.

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Is the prepared qubit then “natural” or have we imbued it with information which we have decided for it in our labelling. This labelling presupposes no extra physics. A photon might have vertical polarisation, horizontal polarisation or if paired a superposition of both; horizontal and vertical as opposed to horizontal or vertical.

Unless the superposition is somehow aware of our labelling how does it know how we expect it to behave?

If one of a photon pair is measured as horizontal it must communicate that information instantaneously to its erstwhile twin.

Is it physics or information?

A good question.

How much entropy is associated with that information?

If the superposition collapses on measurement then in an idealised physics the probability of the other pair member “knowing” its state is one. It has little informational value as it comes as no surprise.

If eigenfunctions are used to prepare a description of a quantum supposition then they must have a difference in the set of quantum number qualities to be eigenfunctions. They may be energy eigenvalue degenerate in isolation but because of the difference in quantum number that degeneracy must be split, if only slightly under some condition or other, which means that they do not share entirely equal  probability on being prepared into a superposition.

The qubit will have a tiny inherent bias.

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I keep getting this sense of discomfort that there is something we are not getting and that we are happy sitting with an intuitionally uncomfortable quantum superposition description…it just seems cobbled together.

It is a bit of a mind fuck…

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Do dreams bring real world information?

If so is it surprising and of high informational value?

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I have just re-read a dream of mine from 2008 in which I see a Breton landscape and am chatting with an extroverted French man who is the spitting image physically and in behaviour of my recent physiotherapist.

Was this information, coincidence or my confirmation bias retro-fitting a dream to a current observable?

If dreams do indeed carry information then the implications of this are high.

I personally will trust what my dreams say about a situation over and above what a human being may or may not assert. If there is good physical evidence I will trust that over dream…

This notion of surprise as being a component of information {new} is interesting. The concept of information entropy in a world of fake news and a verbose Trumpian professor, is appealing.

Information and opinion are not the same. It is possible to speak for a long time without giving any reliable information which comes as no surprise. Were there to be anything new {and reliable} that would be very surprising and information rich.

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Any description or model must occlude at least partially an occult reality of some kind. Because we do not know the true and extensive nature of that reality we can at best describe it. Such a description must be informative and allow a measure of prediction as to the measurable evolution of events in space-time. We should be honest that our description is not ultimate truth. Behind all known physics there is always something occult, unseen and as yet unknown. History teaches us this

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Jut kicking a few ideas around ….

Nothing may come out of it…

Solving a “Problem” or Digging a Karmic Abyss?

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There is no way that you can convince the cunning and the clever of the existence of karma nor of its consequences perhaps spanning lifetimes. The cunning imagine that they can always get out of gaol free.

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The only way they can learn is by experiencing the karmic consequence of karma themselves. Karma cannot be taught it must be experienced and hopefully understood.

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It is up to you if you think the above is some hippie-trippy shit or not.

At the moment deep malevolence is being visited upon two countries, Iran and Ukraine. The justification for Iran is that the Israelis in particular do not want them to have nuclear weapons. The Americans have gone along with this reasoning.

What they are in fact teaching is the need for nuclear weapons.

“If we had nuclear weapons they would not bomb the fuck out of us…”

The message is crystal clear. Negotiations with the fickle do not work. A nuclear deterrent might.

I’ll postulate that neither the Israelis nor the Americans are winning friends. They do not care overmuch, they have the big arsenals.

It is just possible that in solving the “problem” of Iranian nuclear weapons they are digging a karmic abyss. A sore which will fester for generations to come. A short term “win” may lead to a never ending grievance and problem.

The cunning may think that decapitation works but it may give rise to a hydra.

There is no way that you can ever convince the cunning and the clever of the error of their ways. It is by definition impossible.

So many people seek a reactionary short cut, an ersatz, a convenient band aid solution which buys apparent time. All they are doing is giving time for the so-called problem to evolve and  grow. To use the Boris idea of Whack-a-Mole does not eradicate the cause. It merely deals with visible “symptoms”. If you are cunning you would back yourself to be able to keep whacking moles for ever. Eventually you may have way too many plates spinning in the air. The moles may breed.

Often avoidance digs the karmic abyss ever deeper. In the profound darkness of a karmic abyss you can easily lose sight of what caused the problem in the first place. The tendency when in a hole is foolishly to keep on digging. You are committed to the hole, the “solution”.

If you are on a spiritual journey the normal faulty reasoning of society no longer works. A supposed tempting shortcut is not wise, more often than not it is a temptation. A way of looking better and coming up smelling of roses abnegates responsibility something which is karmically poor. Karma does not care about your apparent kudos, importance or reputation.

Karma is about learning the authenticity of your Soul and aiming to live life thereby.

Quite often problems are made up in the mind and can be delusional. Self-importance and arrogance are core ingredients in many so-called “problems”.

Whenever faced with a quandary or a problem a useful question  is:

Am I solving an apparent “problem” or am I digging a karmic abyss?

What to do with the Cornered Coypu?

~ quantumdreamer ~ Leave a comment

I have been out chasing it around the pond a bit. I have learned that Coypu do not like leaf blowers. It is a fairly humane way to move the critter around. It swam back to the pond side near the river and under the bank overhang. It seemed practiced and I have marked the bank where it went under. It sat there nose poking out for a while. It was sniffing the leaf blower. We had prolonged eye to eye contact.

I will check the bank for burrow entrance digging there…later.

In an ideal world the coypu will pop back into the river over night and not return. That is the win from my perspective.

I could try to stake it or batter it. But that is not humane nor to my taste. The French have suggested that we eat it.

We could call the hunters and they might shoot it.

I’ll stick the trail camera out later to see what it does.

I know its preferred hiding places now and how to flush it out with the leaf blower. So I can check if it is there tomorrow.

I don’t want to scare it shitless when it is cornered in the pond and by the electric fence. I just wish it would go away of its own accord. I have no plans to kill it….

I don’t want to bash its brains out…

I don’t want it eating our lotus shoots.

I don’t want to get bitten by those teeth…

Hmnn…

Coypu Saga – Next Episode

~ quantumdreamer ~ Leave a comment

On checking the electric fence I can see the point of ingress last night where it twisted the strands in shock..

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I walked around the pond to see if the little bastard was still here.

I disturbed it…see the bubbles…

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Fuck you human…centre frame…

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I walked around the pond for more evidence…

mid-sized adolescent Coypu turds.

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The little sod has eaten a lotus root

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I made a lot of noise and hit the bank with a rake near where it was hiding.

This scared it off into water….

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I left it hiding under the bank near the river. This is where they burrowed before.

After lunch I am back out trying to scare him back into the river.

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Daft Coypu

~ quantumdreamer ~ Leave a comment

Over the years we have had an on and off struggle with the  Coypu or Nutria which live wild as an invasive species here. The little buggers eat the lotuses and irises when the shoots are young and cause the pond to leak by tunnelling into the pond bank. They have damaged the normal fence.

I have a five strand electric fence running along our river “border”. I don’t mind papa Coypu eating the bamboo shoots on the far bank. In general they do not cross the bridge. In winter the Coypu come. Usually in spring and summer there is enough food elsewhere.

This morning as I was emptying the food waste from yesterday into the composters by the green house. I had the thought, “I do not need to check if the Coypu have tried to breach the electric fence…”

I looked over towards the pond and river. There, not more than four metres from me, on the grass between the pond and the greenhouse was a Coypu “hiding” in the grass. Usually when they see me they run and “plop” into the pond. I stood staring at the Coypu and it stared at me. It was sniffing the air. I was making a noise and whistling. It did not move. Was it on ketamine or GHB? Was it a daft Coypu? If I had a rake I could easily twat it.

I went inside to fetch the wife thinking that the little bugger would have moved by the time I got back.

No it was still sat there a couple of minutes later. We looked at it. I clapped and it turned towards the sound. Gandalf the stray cat joined us meowing loudly. The Coypu did not move.

Best guess is that it made it through the electric fence and got shocked in the process. It is now too traumatised to risk it going back into the river.

I don’t want the little bugger making home in the garden

So when I have finished my coffee I will boot up, put my boots on, and try to run the blighter off.

It is an adolescent near maturity, hopefully not female what with randy papa Coypu lurking.

I’ll take the camera with.

It is pretty weird to be close enough to a wild animal to see its nostril flare and stare eye to eye…

It is possible that it is somehow injured…or just frozen with fear…

If we call the hunters they will take a while to get here…with their guns…

Quarantine the Dreamers!!

~ quantumdreamer ~ Leave a comment

One can view things through many lenses. For example in the start-up I mentioned no investor made any money, some banks got interest payments, some products got sold and used, some people had dinner on the table because of jobs.

If I had not bothered writing patent applications and a business plan I could have saved many people a great deal of time. They could have done other, perhaps better, things. I could have focused on research which got into peer reviewed journals and perhaps been invited to conferences. I might then have gotten promoted and could be still gathering cobwebs in academia.

Shit happens, you learn, no drama.

As things stand the world is no longer at risk from any of my ideas, crazy or otherwise, because I am not in a position to do anything about them. I am quarantined. Nor is there any financial incentive for me to develop any of these notions. My job does not depend upon it. I can “laisser tomber”. All I need to do is have a brief think if there is maybe some mileage and then move on. I do not have to pursue or check beyond initial light bulb.

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Retrospect suggests that I was perhaps bat shit crazy to think we might play a part in the EUV story…

I’ll maintain that a one horse bet, which is what happened to EUV, did not produce the best outcome. It did however work. People will get high NA EUV nano-litho. They can fight the chip technology war until AI kills us all or makes us slaves. See you in the battery plant…

The semiconductor industry needed a solution because of the Moore’s Law mantram.

If you want to control things, be risk averse and safe it is probably best to quarantine the dreamers and when needed silence them. The last thing you need is anyone rocking the boat!!

Sequential safe micro-steps rarely revolutionize. They plod safely.

The thing about dreamers is that a fair portion of their dreams or visions will be fickle and impractical even delusional. It is best to keep them in quarantine…we don’t want people infected with grand ideas above their station…

It raises an interesting question.

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How do you tell ab initio, from the get-go, the difference between delusional and visionary?

Is it only retrospect which can answer accurately?

What stops the visionary?

What enables the delusional?

Who are the arbiters?

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If you want to be safe and sure you need to ensure that all the dreamers are locked up and in secure quarantine for the duration.

Trajectories Converging – Old Tools

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In the previous post I mentioned that much of the on-line presence of Venture Capital firms is unappealing to me, well they don’t work at Jurassic Park and have no need to appeal to dinosaurs. I am clearly not the intended audience nor would I fit any suitability criteria. There are a lot of things these days for which I am not in the intended audience. The great thing about daytime TV is you get age appropriate adverts for Seniors Life Insurance, Cruises, Cremation Plans and Incontinence Pants. There are a range of stair lifts and comfy chairs which assist you to stand at a grand a pop.

When we moved here we inherited a number of tools, a power washer, a heavy duty strimmer and a sit on mower. Each year they need just that bit more maintenance. We have nearly finished our first garden spring clean. The strimmer is getting very vibration heavy and the power washer had a weld fail on the jet-lance. These lances are around 80 euros. It would make more sense to get a power washer which is not coal fired and buy a modern one. The strimmer needs a bit more oomph than battery. The question is, “if we are leaving can we justify €2-300 for a new power washer or not?” If we downsize we will not need such a beast. Maybe it is simpler to rent one for a day. No more capex. The strimmer we need. I will use it spring summer and autumn. I can probably eke one or two more mows out of the sit on mower before taking it to the repair shop. That way we avoid the bottleneck of repairs which happens every year when people turn on their mowers for the first time. Turnaround time in March is six weeks; in late April it is three. This works between mows.

The old tools are perhaps telling us that it is time to move on, to pastures new.  Like us the tools are no longer spring chickens…

I get the feeling that the trajectories are converging towards a simple downsize and not a lot else. I can’t see any open doors.

At the moment the hedge guy is doing our hedges. They are massive. When he has finished we should be good to go for estate agent photos. We can see if anyone wants to buy or if we have an albatross.

It does not matter overly what my opinions are, nor what I may know. Certainly there are a lot of smart people in science and there is no need for the likes of me. There is no need, no demand. I am surplus.

It does look like the trajectories are converging and finding a minimum on the decision potential energy hypersurface. The dream rate has dropped. The subject matter is less mystical but the theme of retreat centre – teaching remains (ish).

I am due my second hip operation early summer. This means that, should they be able to get the pin from my prior hip repair out, I should have an operational left hip by autumn. I can’t really see me doing anything other than bimbling about in the house and garden in the near term. We shall try wallpapering for the first time soon!!

The signs for moving on seem to be increasing in frequency…

Now all we need is some clue as to where..

  • I had to add bimbling to the Word Dictionary.