information theory

noun

: a theory that deals statistically with information, with the measurement of its content in terms of its distinguishing essential characteristics or by the number of alternatives from which it makes a choice possible, and with the efficiency of processes of communication between humans and machines

Examples of information theory in a Sentence

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Jane Gould is a transportation planner from Northern California with a background in information theory. Sue Saunders, The Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2024 In the nineteen-forties and fifties, the two strands of research came together in the work of Claude Shannon, a founder of information theory. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024 For instance, could quantum theory be a kind of generalization of probability theory and information theory, divorced from applications to atoms? Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024 And in information theory, information is a resource. Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for information theory 

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of information theory was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near information theory

Cite this Entry

“Information theory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/information%20theory. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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