%0 Generic %1 citeulike:1455926 %A Parker, Michael C. %A Walker, Stuart D. %D 2004 %K entropy information %T Is Computation Reversible? %U http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0401077 %X Recent investigations into the physical nature of information and fundamental limits to information transmission have revealed questions such as the possibility of superluminal data transfer or not; and whether reversible computation (information processing) is feasible. In some respects these uncertainties stem from the determination of whether information is inherent in points of non-analyticity (discontinuities) or smoother functions. The close relationship between information and entropy is also well known, e.g. Brillouin's concept of negentropy (negative entropy) as a measure for information. Since the leading edge of a step-discontinuity propagates in any dispersive medium at the speed of light in vacuum as a precursor to the main body of the dispersed pulse, we propose in this paper to treat information as being intrinsic to points of non-analyticity (discontinuities). This allows us to construct a theory addressing these dilemmas in a fashion consistent with causality, and the fundamental laws of thermodynamics. A consequence of our proposition is that the movement of information is always associated with the dissipation of heat, and therefore that the concept of reversible classical computation is not tenable.

@misc{citeulike:1455926, abstract = {Recent investigations into the physical nature of information and fundamental limits to information transmission have revealed questions such as the possibility of superluminal data transfer or not; and whether reversible computation (information processing) is feasible. In some respects these uncertainties stem from the determination of whether information is inherent in points of non-analyticity (discontinuities) or smoother functions. The close relationship between information and entropy is also well known, e.g. Brillouin's concept of negentropy (negative entropy) as a measure for information. Since the leading edge of a step-discontinuity propagates in any dispersive medium at the speed of light in vacuum as a precursor to the main body of the dispersed pulse, we propose in this paper to treat information as being intrinsic to points of non-analyticity (discontinuities). This allows us to construct a theory addressing these dilemmas in a fashion consistent with causality, and the fundamental laws of thermodynamics. A consequence of our proposition is that the movement of information is always associated with the dissipation of heat, and therefore that the concept of reversible classical computation is not tenable.}, added-at = {2007-08-18T13:22:24.000+0200}, author = {Parker, Michael C. and Walker, Stuart D.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/2569c0c0fbbcfe9f79ef84ea257ceda56/a_olympia}, citeulike-article-id = {1455926}, description = {citeulike}, eprint = {physics/0401077}, interhash = {f9b1866dfa9fde47a8deceaf4182b245}, intrahash = {569c0c0fbbcfe9f79ef84ea257ceda56}, keywords = {entropy information}, month = Jan, priority = {2}, timestamp = {2007-08-18T13:22:25.000+0200}, title = {Is Computation Reversible?}, url = {http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0401077}, year = 2004 }