Doctoral Program in Computer Science
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Computer Science Colloquium
 


Thursday, April 15, 4:15pm, C201/C202
 
Vladimir A. Uspensky  
(Lomonosov Moscow State University)
 
"Kolmogorov's program of algorithmic reconstruction of information theory"
 
Shannon's information theory is based on the concept of probability. Indeed, in that theory, it is random variables who carry information. In the beginning of the 1960s Kolmogorov announced a program of reconstructing Information Theory on the basis of computability, more exactly on the basis of so-called Kolmogorov complexity. Kolmogorov, or descriptional, complexity is the complexity of an object as opposed to computational complexity which is the complexity of a process. Main Kolmogorov's idea reflected an understanding that the more complex an object was, the greater information it contained. So the basic notions and facts of the theory of information got a new interpretation. Parallel studies of both interpretations (Shannon's one and Kolmogorov's one) have led to the notion of information space.

 
The Colloquium is supported by generous contributions from the CUNY Faculty Development Program, Bloomberg, Information Builders, Inc. and qbt Systems, Inc.