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To maximize information content (entropy), we must try to use all symbols with equal likelihood - which this rule assists, employing capital symbols with closer
by hyperpallium 9y ago
To maximize information content (entropy), we must try to use all symbols with equal likelihood - which this rule assists, employing capital symbols with closer to equal likelihood than their usual rarity.
Furthermore, said symbols must convey previously unknown information - which this rule does not, as the nouns have the same meaning whether capitalized as not, and the "information" conveyed is redundant.
- mishac 9y agoHuman languages aren’t usually concerned with maximal information density though. Multiple layers of redundancy are often present. Features like noun verb agreement, grammatical gender, pleonasms, and even redundant words (last will and testament, vim and vigor etc) are used in various languages despite the redundancy, to increase clarity.
- hyperpallium 9y agoFor sure, I was makimg a haphazard joke about German efficiency. Is a pleonasm an oxymoron?
- mishac 9y agoPleonasm is more of a needless redundancy like "It's déjà vu all over again."