Physics from Fisher Information: A Unification [Hardcover]

B. Roy Frieden (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 052163167X | ISBN-13: 978-0521631679 | Publication Date: January 28, 1999

This book defines and develops a unifying principle of physics, that of 'extreme physical information'. The information in question is, perhaps surprisingly, not Shannon or Boltzmann entropy but, rather, Fisher information, a simple concept little known to physicists. Both statistical and physical properties of Fisher information are developed. This information is shown to be a physical measure of disorder, sharing with entropy the property of monotonic change with time. The information concept is applied 'phenomenally' to derive most known physics, from statistical mechanics and thermodynamics to quantum mechanics, the Einstein field equations, and quantum gravity. Many new physical relations and concepts are developed, including new definitions of disorder, time and temperature. The information principle is based upon a new theory of measurement, one which incorporates the observer into the phenomenon that he/she observes. The 'request' for data creates the law that, ultimately, gives rise to the data. The observer creates his or her local reality.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Frieden's information-based methods provide a stunningly clear interpretation of the laws of physics ... Unlocking the fundamental laws in impressive enough, but if this one principle really is the key to all physics, it should do more than reproduce what physicists already know. It should also reveal the secrets of unsolved mysteries.' Robert Matthews, New Scientist

' ... a tremendously interesting and original book ... Frieden's findings are intellectually satisfying on many levels. First is the recognition that J. A. Wheeler's remark that 'Observer participany gives rise to information; and information gives rise to physics' is at the heart of the work. And second is the idea that in a game of information hoarding between the observer and Nature, Nature always wins or breaks even. And yet it is by playing this game (which 'you can't win') that Frieden derives Maxwell's equations, that Klein-Gordon equation, the Einstein field equation of general relativity, and several others. I shall not say more about this stimulating text here - I hope that I have said enough to goad you to look at it yourself.' P. W. Hawkes, Ultramicroscopy 80

Book Description

This book defines and develops a unifying principle of physics, that of 'extreme physical information'. The information in question is Fisher information, a simple concept little known to physicists. Both statistical and physical properties of Fisher information are developed. This information is shown to be a physical measure of disorder, sharing with entropy the property of monotonic change with time. The information concept is applied 'phenomen-ally' to derive most known physics, from statistical mechanics and thermodynamics to quantum mechanics, the Einstein field equations, and quantum gravity.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052163167X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521631679
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,836,338 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written and important, but keep math texts handy, May 29, 2000

By 

Roger Cox - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Physics from Fisher Information: A Unification (Hardcover)

This is a compilation of Roy Frieden's work in major physics journals over the last decade deriving the basic laws of physics - relativistic quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, gravitation, statistical thermodynamics - from a quantity (used by mathematical statisticians and by hardly anyone else) called Fisher Information. He derives the Klein-Gordon equation, Schroedinger wave equations, Maxwell's equations, DeWitt-Wheeler law of quantum gravity, and various statistical thermodynamics laws. Whew. Basically, while folks have focused in the past on Shannon information and entropy (all global measures), Frieden's worked on Fisher information which is a local measure (e.g. based on a derivative). Optimization of functionals of Fisher information gives differential equations as results, which become laws of physics. Cute.

Anyone with a Bachelors in Engineering would have been exposed to enough physics to understand what Frieden has done. The mathematics is at senior-level math/grad level engineering level. Well-written and not at all cryptic, Frieden goes out of his way to motivate his arguments. In fact, Roy spends 100 pages in preparation and discussion before he even gets to his first real derivation.

Operations Researchers (like me), Applied Mathematicians, EE Control Theory types and Statisticians will find the mathematics pretty comfortable...even if we don't understand all the physics implications. Philosophical types with strong math backgrounds can profitably wade through the text just to get a flavor of his arguments.

Cambridge *really* wanted to publish this textbook. They even included Frieden's umm..errr...interesting pencil sketches of himself and other luminaries. Check out the New Scientist archives for an article in January 1999 on Frieden's work.

One warning. This is *not* light reading. Those looking for the "Tao of Fisher Information" will have to wait for some of us to write a pop sci version of his work. If you want to get a feeling for Frieden's work before you buy the book, read the articles "Estimation of distribution laws, and physical laws, by a principle of extremized physical information", Physica A, 198 (1993) 262-338 or "Lagrangians of physics and the game of Fisher-information transfer", Phys Rev E, 52(3), Sept 1995, 2274-2286.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars statistics is the Theory of Everything, February 9, 2005

By 

Neal Alexander (Cali, Colombia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Science from Fisher Information: A Unification (Paperback)

If, like me, you're fed up with popular science books which are too scared to include equations, I expect you'll find this as enormously challenging, stimulating and satisfying as I did.

The author interprets all physical measurement as extraction of Fisher information from the object being measured. From this he derives, for example, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle as a special case of the Cramer-Rao lower bound. By assuming, in addition, conservation of charge he derives Maxwell's equations and, similarly, from conservation of momentum he derives general relativity. He also derives - - amongst others! - - classical thermodynamics, and the Klein-Gordon equation (relativistic generalization of Schrodinger equation).

He also uses his theory to make predictions, such as that the neutrino has mass >0, and that the rate of change of entropy has a finite upper bound (as well as the lower bound of zero). Towards the end of the book are chapters on less physical topics including financial markets and cancer growth.

It wasn't easy going, even with a degree in maths (more knowledge of tensors would've helped), but the way he derives such a frankly amazing amount from so few premises convinces me that he is on to something important.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clarifying physics, June 22, 2002

By 

Jan Kahre (Helsinki Finland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Physics from Fisher Information: A Unification (Hardcover)

"Physics from Fisher Information" is a unification, indeed. The author derives the physical laws for such different fields as quantum mechanics, classical electromechanics, general relativity and statistical mechanics from the single powerful principle of Extreme Physical Information (EPI). This principle probably goes deeper than merely a mathematical similarity between the laws, which as such already helps to grasp the full picture of physics. Personally, I think it's a pity this clarifying book was not written yet when I was a student of physics. To miss this book, is to miss something essential.