An Introduction To Cybernetics by W. Ross Ashby

Author:W. Ross Ashby [Ashby, W. Ross]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-02-17T05:00:00+00:00

T R A N S M I S S I O N O F V A R I E T Y

brief account mentions no less than sixteen major transformations through all of which something has been preserved, though the superficial appearances have changed almost out of recognition.

Chapter

8

8/3. Complexity of coding. When considering such repeated codings the observer may easily over-estimate the amount of com-T R A N S M I S S I O N O F V A R I E T Y

plexity that has been introduced. It not uncommonly happens that the amount of complexity is nothing like as large as a first impression might suggest.

A simple example, showing how a complex coding may have

8/1. The previous chapter has introduced the concept of “variety”, hidden simplicities, occurs when a simple one-one coding of the al-a concept inseparable from that of “information”, and we have phabet is applied first to the message, then to the first coded form to seen how important it is, in some problems, to recognise that we give a second (doubly-) coded form, then to the second coded form, are dealing with a set of possibilities.

and so on for many codings. The final form might be thought to be In the present chapter we shall study how such possibilities are extremely mixed, and to need for its decoding as many operations transmitted through a machine, in the sense of studying the rela-backwards as were used forwards; in fact, as can easily be verified, tion that exists between the set that occurs at the input and the con-it differs from the original message only by as much as is caused by sequent set that occurs, usually in somewhat coded form, at the a single application of some one-one coding. The final message can output. We shall see that the transmission is, if the machine is thus be turned back to the original by a single operation.

determinate, perfectly orderly and capable of rigorous treatment.

Our aim will be to work towards an understanding good enough Ex. : Arrange the cards of a pack in order, and place it on the table face down-to serve as a basis for considering the extremely complex codings wards. Cut. Cut again. Cut again and again until you are satisfied that the used by the brain.

original order is lost totally. Now pick the pack up and examine its order; how much order has been lost?

8/2. Ubiquity of coding. To get a picture of the amount of coding 8/4. De-coding. The general study of codings is best introduced that goes on during the ordinary interaction between organism and by noticing some of the features of military codings.

environment, let us consider, in some detail, the comparatively sim-We must be careful from the beginning not to interpret “code”

ple sequence of events that occurs when a “Gale warning” is broad-too narrowly. At first we tend to think only of those methods that cast. It starts as some patterned process in the nerve cells of the turn each

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