Nick Szabo -- Introduction to Algorithmic Information Theory
by ogriselRecent discoveries have unified the fields of computer science and information theory into the field of algorithmic information theory. This field is also known by its main result, Kolmogorov complexity. Kolmogorov complexity gives us a new way to grasp the mathematics of information, which is used to describe the structures of the world. Information is used to describe the cultural structures of science, legal and market institutions, art, music, knowledge, and beliefs. Information is also used in describing the structures and processes of biological phenomena, and phenomena of the physical world. The most obvious application of information is to the engineering domains of computers and communications. This essay will provide an overview of the field; only passing knowledge of computer science and probability theory is required of the reader.
