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While well known for this paper and "information theory", Shannon's master's thesis* is worth checking out as well. It demonstrated some equivalence between ele

While well known for this paper and "information theory", Shannon's master's thesis* is worth checking out as well. It demonstrated some equivalence between electrical circuits and boolean algebra, and was one of the key ideas that enabled digital computers. * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Symbolic_Analysis_of_Relay_and_Switching_Circuits https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Symbolic_Analysis_of_Relay_a...

B1FF_PSUVM 2y ago
The funny thing is that, at the time, digital logic circuits were made with relays. For most of the XX century you could hear relays clacking away at street junctions, inside metal boxes controlling traffic lights. Then you got bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), and most digital logic, such as ECL and TTL, was based on a different paradigm for a few decades. Then came the MOS revolution, allowing for large scale integration. And it worked like relays used to, but Shannon's work was mostly forgotten by then.
- mturmon 2y ago
  > Then you got bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), and most digital logic, such as ECL and TTL, was based on a different paradigm for a few decades. I think the emphasis is misplaced here. It is true that a single BJT, when considered as a three terminal device, does not operate in the same “gated” way as a relay and a CMOS gate does. But the BJT components still were integrated into chips, or assembled into standard design blocks that implemented recognizable Boolean operations, and synthesis of desired logical functions would use tools like Karnaugh maps that were (as I understand it) outgrowths of Shannon’s approach.
- kragen 2y ago
  i don't think traffic light control systems were designed with boolean logic before shannon, nor were they described as 'logic' (or for that matter 'digital')
egl2021 2y ago
This is my candidate for the most influential master's thesis ever.
- dbcurtis 2y ago
  > The fundamental problem of communication is that of reproducing at one point either exactly or approximately a message selected at another point. Frequently the messages have meaning... This is my candidate for the sickest burn in a mathematical journal paper...
zhangsen 2y ago
“Information theory” might be a misnomer.
- keepamovin 2y ago
  Why?
  - nsajko 2y ago
    Hint: the title of this post, and of the paper, uses communication instead of information.
    - keepamovin 2y ago
      Aaah. That’sa good point. Hehe :) but I mean he does really delve into information in his exposition. Very clear. Tho I’m intrigued by the idea that there’s more to information than Shannon. Any additional hints?? I’ve often thought about a dual metric with entropy called ‘organization’ that doesn’t Measure disorder/surprise, but measures structure, Coherence. But I don’t think it’s exactly a dual.

B1FF_PSUVM 2y ago

The funny thing is that, at the time, digital logic circuits were made with relays. For most of the XX century you could hear relays clacking away at street junctions, inside metal boxes controlling traffic lights. Then you got bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), and most digital logic, such as ECL and TTL, was based on a different paradigm for a few decades. Then came the MOS revolution, allowing for large scale integration. And it worked like relays used to, but Shannon's work was mostly forgotten by then.

mturmon 2y ago
> Then you got bipolar junction transistors (BJTs), and most digital logic, such as ECL and TTL, was based on a different paradigm for a few decades. I think the emphasis is misplaced here. It is true that a single BJT, when considered as a three terminal device, does not operate in the same “gated” way as a relay and a CMOS gate does. But the BJT components still were integrated into chips, or assembled into standard design blocks that implemented recognizable Boolean operations, and synthesis of desired logical functions would use tools like Karnaugh maps that were (as I understand it) outgrowths of Shannon’s approach.
kragen 2y ago
i don't think traffic light control systems were designed with boolean logic before shannon, nor were they described as 'logic' (or for that matter 'digital')

egl2021 2y ago

This is my candidate for the most influential master's thesis ever.

dbcurtis 2y ago
> The fundamental problem of communication is that of reproducing at one point either exactly or approximately a message selected at another point. Frequently the messages have meaning... This is my candidate for the sickest burn in a mathematical journal paper...

zhangsen 2y ago

“Information theory” might be a misnomer.

keepamovin 2y ago
Why?
- nsajko 2y ago
  Hint: the title of this post, and of the paper, uses communication instead of information.
  - keepamovin 2y ago
    Aaah. That’sa good point. Hehe :) but I mean he does really delve into information in his exposition. Very clear. Tho I’m intrigued by the idea that there’s more to information than Shannon. Any additional hints?? I’ve often thought about a dual metric with entropy called ‘organization’ that doesn’t Measure disorder/surprise, but measures structure, Coherence. But I don’t think it’s exactly a dual.