[On the concept of "information"].

Area of Science:

• Information theory
• General systems theory
• Mathematical biology

Context:

• Classical communication theory's scope of "information" is expanding.
• Recent generalized information theories offer new perspectives.
• H. VOLZ's books "Information I" and "Information II" are critically assessed.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the contribution of "Information I" and "Information II" to generalized information theories.
• To critique the proposed all-embracing definition of information.
• To propose an alternative, biologically relevant definition of information.

Summary:

• The study criticizes H. VOLZ's generalized information definition as unsuitable for a foundational theory.
• Information is proposed as a measure of structural differences between probability distributions in a state space.
• This involves comparing physical possibilities with biologically realized, function-optimal states, using statistical entropy.

Impact:

• This information-theoretical framework offers a mathematical description for biological properties.
• It provides a potential basis for understanding the interconnections between physics, cybernetics, and biology.
• The proposed definition may serve as a foundation for generalized biological information theories.