TFNR - More complex Physical Information
In my opinion, the concept of Information in Physics and more generally in the natural sciences has always been controversial, confused. Countless bizarre definitions, which, borrowed from particular fields, from technology, from common experience. None of the definitions that I have encountered in my research seems to have hit the deep meaning of this term so central to the understanding of the Nature of Reality, in particular of its incessant Evolution in the construction of Complexity.
In my opinion, the concept of Information in Physics and in the natural sciences has always been controversial and confused. Countless definitions have been proposed, often borrowed from technology or common experience, but none of them, in my research, seems to capture the deep meaning of this term so central to understanding the Nature of Reality, especially its incessant Evolution toward Complexity.
I believe that the perfect definition does not exist. But, whatever approximation we can imagine, I do not believe that we can ignore the concept of Form. And the concept of Action, obviously. I repeat this mantra once again: In-Form-Action! Form is the way in which the constituents of an object, the parts of a system, organize themselves in reciprocal Relations. And since we have said that nothing exists in itself, but everything exists because it happens, such Relations can only organize Events, in an incessant flow of Creation of Existence and Evolution of Essence / Form. Form, Information, the objects of Evolution, in the Formation of Reality.
A perfect definition may not exist. But whatever approximation we may adopt, we cannot ignore the concept of Form — and the concept of Action. In‑Form‑Action: Form is the way in which the constituents of an object, the parts of a system, organize themselves in reciprocal Relations. And since nothing exists in itself, but everything exists because it happens, such Relations can only organize Events, in an incessant flow of Creation of Existence and Evolution of Essence/Form.
In conventional Physics, unless I am mistaken, it does not seem to me that great importance has ever been given to Form, to qualitative aspects. In general, in the attempt to simplify, to reduce complexity, to reach the most elementary formulation, in search of first principles, of the perfect equation, Physics has privileged quantitative aspects. Even more so in Quantum Physics, where also due to objective difficulties of observation, interpretation and representation, a tendency has manifested itself to transcend, ignore, avoid the search for a "visual", formal understanding of the phenomena and even more of the objects involved (waves, particles, etc.).
Conventional Physics has rarely given importance to Form. In the attempt to simplify, reduce complexity, and reach elementary formulations, Physics has privileged quantitative aspects. Even more so in Quantum Physics, where the difficulties of observation and representation have often led to avoiding the search for a qualitative, formal understanding of phenomena and of the objects involved.
Yet, in the context of quantum dynamics, and even more so in classical dynamics, Information plays a central role. Among the many, we recall the topic of Entanglement and entropy, Special Relativity, and so on... The big problem I see in this field is a certain lack of concreteness in defining or simply referring to the concept of Information, especially in the quantum field. It is natural that it is so, given the objective difficulties I mentioned before. But referring to "sequences of zeros and ones", to "cups that break and do not spontaneously recompose", to "qubits that mysteriously appear and disappear in abstract and evanescent spaces", to "our knowledge of reality", I do not think it does justice to this central concept for understanding the Fundamental Nature of Reality.
Yet, both in quantum dynamics and in classical dynamics, Information plays a central role. Entanglement, entropy, Special Relativity, and many other topics show that Information is fundamental. The problem, however, is a lack of concreteness in defining Information, especially in the quantum domain. Referring to “zeros and ones”, to “broken cups”, to “qubits in abstract spaces”, or to “our knowledge of reality” does not do justice to this central concept.
Properties and behaviors of classical and quantum information are very different. Classical Information, which belongs to the world of Forms, the objects of the world we are part of, from a grain of sand to the largest cosmic structures, is specific to systems with a defined state and can be measured and replicated without being altered. Quantum Information, which belongs to the world of InfoStructures, especially those of Ordinary (visible) Matter, is encoded as properties of quantum systems (spin direction, wave polarization, etc.) and has particular properties such as superposition and entanglement; quantum information is not cloneable and is altered by interactions and therefore by measurements. Atoms and molecules, although belonging to the class of Physical Forms, have properties and express behaviors that straddle the quantum and classical worlds.
Properties and behaviors of classical and quantum Information are very different. Classical Information, which belongs to the world of Forms, is specific to systems with a defined state and can be measured and replicated without being altered. Quantum Information, which belongs to the world of InfoStructures, is encoded in the properties of quantum systems (spin, polarization, etc.) and exhibits superposition, entanglement, and non‑clonability; it is altered by interactions and measurements. Atoms and molecules, although belonging to the class of Physical Forms, express behaviors that straddle the quantum and classical worlds.
In the perspective of this model, more complex Physical Information arises from the correlations of Elementary Action that give rise to the potential Fundamental Physical Quantities (pFPQs) of the Field and to the effective Fundamental Physical Quantities (eFPQs) of the InfoStructures. Classical and quantum Information correspond to different levels of organization of these correlations — the organization of the Field and the organization of the Structures within it.
In the next two sections in an extremely synthetic form I will try to give some hints to the themes of quantum and classical Information, in the perspective of the model I am proposing here.
In the next two sections, in an extremely synthetic form, I will outline the themes of quantum and classical Information in the perspective of the model proposed here.
Links to the tables of contents of TFNR Paper
