Importance of "A Mathematical Theory of Communication"

• A
Gold Member
I am not sure this is the right section to ask this question, but here it goes. So, I was studying Stat. Physics and I came across this paper, A Mathematical Theory of Communication. What it's so important about this paper?

etotheipi

Mentor
2021 Award
I am not sure this is the right section to ask this question, but here it goes. So, I was studying Stat. Physics and I came across this paper, A Mathematical Theory of Communication. What it's so important about this paper?
I would say it is the beginning of entropy in mathematics and physics as a measure for the disorder. Both subjects use Shannon's definition of entropy to characterize uncertainties in multiple bit / particle systems. It makes such systems manageable.

etotheipi
Gold Member
It’s one of the foundational papers of information theory.

@vanhees71 has recommended the following for the information theory approach to statistical mechanics

A. Katz, Principles of Statistical Mechanics, W. H. Freeman

vanhees71 and dextercioby