Information Flow: The Logic of Distributed Systems (Cambridge Tracts in Theoretical Computer Science) [Hardcover]

Jon Barwise (Author), Jerry Seligman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 28, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0521583861 | ISBN-13: 978-0521583862

Information is a central topic in computer science, cognitive science, and philosophy. In spite of its importance in the "information age," there is no consensus on what information is, what makes it possible, and what it means for one medium to carry information about another. Drawing on ideas from mathematics, computer science, and philosophy, this book addresses the definition and place of information in society. The authors, observing that information flow is possible only within a connected distribution system, provide a mathematically rigorous, philosophically sound foundation for a science of information. They illustrate their theory by applying it to a wide range of phenomena, from file transfer to DNA, from quantum mechanics to speech act theory.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This important interdisciplinary text is ideal for graduate students and researchers in mathematics, computer science, philosophy, linguistics, logic, and cognitive science." Computing Reviews

"This iis an enjoyable book on information flow, an important recent topic in the study of logic, language and computation, enriching the science of information by a mathematically rigorous foundation." Mathematical Reviews

"...two thumbs up...." Complexity

"...an important book...useful...inspiring...accessible to most graduate students in logic, computer science, philosophy, mathematics, linguistics, and cognitive science. Everyone working in those areas will find material of interest in the book." Journal of Symbolic Logic

Book Description

Information is a central topic in computer science, cognitive science, and philosophy. In spite of its importance in the "information age," there is no consensus on what information is, what makes it possible, and what it means for one medium to carry information about another. Drawing on ideas from mathematics, computer science, and philosophy, this book addresses the definition and place of information in society. The authors, observing that information flow is possible only within a connected distribution system, provide a mathematically rigorous, philosophically sound foundation for a science of information.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 292 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (July 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521583861
• ISBN-13: 978-0521583862
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,753,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the effort, August 1, 2006

By 

David Spurrett (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Information Flow: The Logic of Distributed Systems (Cambridge Tracts in Theoretical Computer Science) (Hardcover)

I found the exposition in parts of this book quite poor. The prose is often pretty cryptic, there were some typographical errors that led me down detours while I tried to work through the details, so it took a lot of work (for me at least) to figure out some of the steps. The fact that a lot of the examples are of "toy" problems doesn't help see how the framework developed could be used for anything.

This is one of those books that should say "Some assembly required" on the cover.

I still think this is an important book, and that it deserves considerably more influence in academic philosophy, especially in the literature on causal process theories (developments of the work of Reichenbach and Salmon) and relations between theories in philosophy of science.

This isn't easy, and it's not obvious what it's useful for, but it's still very good. I'm not sure what the theoretical computer scientists make of it.

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing among Barwise' other work, May 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Information Flow: The Logic of Distributed Systems (Cambridge Tracts in Theoretical Computer Science) (Hardcover)

There's a lot of informal discussion at the beginning about what information "really is", but very little in terms of innovative content. The book contains a good formal approach that expands on earlier work in the same field, but it hangs on too many ill-fitting concepts as the "Xerox principle" and the notion that knowledge can be quantified. The book also completely ignores the ontological perspective which other researchers have addressed for over a decade.

8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars new engineering tools, August 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Information Flow: The Logic of Distributed Systems (Cambridge Tracts in Theoretical Computer Science) (Hardcover)

A mathematical basis for Keith Devlin's book "InfoSense: Turning Information into Knowledge." Buy them both!