Objective Information Theory: A Sextuple Model and 9 Kinds of Metrics

Abstract

In the contemporary era, the importance of information is undisputed, but there has never been a common understanding of information, nor a unanimous conclusion to the researches on information metrics. Based on the previous studies, this paper analyzes the important achievements in the researches of the properties and metrics of information as well as their main insufficiencies, and explores the essence and connotation, the mathematical expressions and other basic problems related to information. On the basis of the understanding of the objectivity of information, it proposes the definitions and a Sextuple model of information; discusses the basic properties of information, and brings forward the definitions and mathematical expressions of nine kinds of metrics of information, i.e., extensity, detailedness, sustainability, containability, delay, richness, distribution, validity and matchability. Through these, this paper establishes a basic theory frame of Objective Information Theory to support the analysis and research on information and information system systematically and comprehensively.