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datenwolf | 2 years ago

60 bits. Yes, I know, you can compress it down very well. But consider that entropy in computation involves not just the bits you store, but also the bits that the processor touches and eventually dissipates as heat into the universe.

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amelius|2 years ago

What definition of entropy do you use?

(I'm using Shannon entropy.)

datenwolf|2 years ago

Boltzmann. But it doesn't really matter, it's the same thing. Yes, I know that looking at a sequence of, say 1000 identical bits looks like it's got just 10 bits of entropy after simple RLE compression. But you must not forget the entropy that also generated in the computation itself, and subsequently dissipated into the universe.