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Physics from Fisher Information: A Unification |
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Physics from Fisher Information: A Unification
List Price: $100.00
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Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
Author: B. Roy Frieden
Binding: Hardcover
Publication Date: 1999-01-28
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Label: Cambridge University Press
Number Of Pages: 328
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Editorial Review:
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.
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Customer Reviews
Average Customer Rating: 
Fringe science ?, you decide.  2008-02-14
This review refers to the 1998 edition of the book, ISBN 0 521 63167 X hardback.
I had originally gotten excited when I found this book. However:
I think the author summed it up best with the final sentence of his book (P282). I quote him thanking "E.M.Wright, for bringing to my attention many aspects of modern quantum theory, especially its wonderful mysteries and paradoxes, bringing me up to date on the subject of measurement theory, and (hopefully) constraining my enthusiastic forays of theory to stay within physical bounds".
In a book of equations and theory - I cant help wonder at the relevance of including sketches of photographs of "famous" people such as: J.A. Wheeler (P2), R.A. Fisher (P23), L. Brillouin (P66) and finally the author himself (P73). Are the photos a lead up to justify the inclusion of his own portrait for posterity?. The sketches may not have increased the dimensionality of the problems presented in the book but they may have added a new dimension to vanity publishing ?
I started getting a bit concerned for the veracity of the author's "science" when he began to use an anthropic type of argument, (P218). For example, he states "Thus, the values of (universal) constants are somehow scaled to accommodate the presence of human beings. This is flattering if true: it means that our presence has a profound - if indirect - effect upon physical laws and, hence, the Universe!", (his exclamation mark, not mine).
On a more mundane level, there was no nomenclature list for the variables used in the equations throughout the text. This made it difficult to identify some definitions and follow the meaning of some equations. On a positive note, and to the author's credit, the maths was presented at a good level.
Nothing new  2007-07-11
The essence of really great theoretical physics is that it creates new insights and makes novel, experimentally verifiable predictions that take us in new directions, capabilities and understanding.
And that is what is missing from Frieden's work, thoroughly reviewed here - it just re-derives well-established standard-physics results from a different angle, but doesn't lead into new pastures - or at least, not yet... So what?
Must try harder; 'me too' is simply not good enough.
little information in this book 2006-05-02
I was very excited at the first eyedrop in this book.
But having read half of it, I asked myself: what did I learn and is it worth to continue the reading.
What I learned is the definition of the Fisher information matrix and the eventuality that the laws of physics are woven with the thread of information. But I stopped reading further.
I had the bad feeling that the author greatly overstates his case.
It was nearly clear for me that all applications of the supposed theory where built on a simple canvas:
- rename the two terms of the Lagrangian as 'Fisher information' and 'physical information'
- and rename further the least-action-principle as 'EPI' (Extreme Physical Information)
Still, I think the subject is interresting and I may myself give it a second chance.
Therefore it is a good buy only if you can accept some disappointement and if you hope to go further by yourself.
statistics is the Theory of Everything  2005-02-09
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.
Clarifying physics 2002-06-22
"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.
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