A framework for the local information dynamics of distributed computation in complex systems

The nature of distributed computation has often been described in terms of the component operations of universal computation: information storage, transfer and modification. We review the first complete framework that quantifies each of these individual information dynamics on a local scale within a system, and describes the manner in which they interact to create non-trivial computation where "the whole is greater than the sum of the parts". We describe the application of the framework to cellular automata, a simple yet powerful model of distributed computation. This is an important application, because the framework is the first to provide quantitative evidence for several important conjectures about distributed computation in cellular automata: that blinkers embody information storage, particles are information transfer agents, and particle collisions are information modification events. The framework is also shown to contrast the computations conducted by several well-known cellular automata, highlighting the importance of information coherence in complex computation. The results reviewed here provide important quantitative insights into the fundamental nature of distributed computation and the dynamics of complex systems, as well as impetus for the framework to be applied to the analysis and design of other systems.Comment: 44 pages, 8 figure

Partial information decomposition as a unified approach to the specification of neural goal functions

In many neural systems anatomical motifs are present repeatedly, but despite their structural similarity they can serve very different tasks. A prime example for such a motif is the canonical microcircuit of six-layered neo-cortex, which is repeated across cortical areas, and is involved in a number of different tasks (e.g. sensory, cognitive, or motor tasks). This observation has spawned interest in finding a common underlying principle, a ‘goal function’, of information processing implemented in this structure. By definition such a goal function, if universal, cannot be cast in processing-domain specific language (e.g. ‘edge filtering’, ‘working memory’). Thus, to formulate such a principle, we have to use a domain-independent framework. Information theory offers such a framework. However, while the classical framework of information theory focuses on the relation between one input and one output (Shannon’s mutual information), we argue that neural information processing crucially depends on the combination of multiple inputs to create the output of a processor. To account for this, we use a very recent extension of Shannon Information theory, called partial information decomposition (PID). PID allows to quantify the information that several inputs provide individually (unique information), redundantly (shared information) or only jointly (synergistic information) about the output. First, we review the framework of PID. Then we apply it to reevaluate and analyze several earlier proposals of information theoretic neural goal functions (predictive coding, infomax and coherent infomax, efficient coding). We find that PID allows to compare these goal functions in a common framework, and also provides a versatile approach to design new goal functions from first principles. Building on this, we design and analyze a novel goal function, called ‘coding with synergy’, which builds on combining external input and prior knowledge in a synergistic manner. We suggest that this novel goal function may be highly useful in neural information processing

IMPLEMENTASI PEMBERIAN GANTI KERUGIAN LAYANAN PAKET DI PT TIKI JALUR NUGRAHA EKAKURIR (JNE) CABANG SURAKARTA DITINJAU DARI UNDANG-UNDANG NOMOR 38 TAHUN 2009 TENTANG POS

ABSTRAK Yusuf Bintang Syaifinuha, E0012414. 2016. IMPLEMENTASI PEMBERIAN GANTI KERUGIAN LAYANAN PAKET DI PT TIKI JALUR NUGRAHA EKAKURIR (JNE) CABANG SURAKARTA DITINJAU DARI UNDANG-UNDANG NOMOR 38 TAHUN 2009 TENTANG POS. Fakultas Hukum Universitas Sebelas Maret Surakarata. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui implementasi pemberian ganti kerugian di PT Tiki Jalur Nugraha Ekakurir (JNE) Cabang Surakarta ditinjau dari UU Pos dan untuk mengetahui cara penyelesaian sengketa yang timbul dari implementasi pemberian ganti kerugian di PT Tiki Jalur Nugraha Ekakurir (JNE) Cabang Surakarta. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah deskriptif kualitatif. Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian empiris. Data yang digunakan terdiri dari dua data yaitu data primer dan data sekunder. Teknik pengumpulan data adalah dengan metode wawancara dan studi pustaka. Berdasarkan hasil analisis penelitian, dapat diambil kesimpulan bahwa implementasi pemberian ganti kerugian di JNE kurang sesuai dengan Pasal 28 UU Pos karena jenis ganti kerugian hanya untuk kehilangan kiriman dan kerusakan isi kiriman. Pengirim yang mengajukan klaim ganti kerugian harus memenuhi syarat administrasi yang telah ditetapkan oleh JNE. Nilai ganti kerugian yang diberikan JNE adalah 10 kali biaya pengiriman atau sesuai harga barang yang hilang dan/atau rusak jika menggunakan asuransi. JNE memilih upaya hukum diluar pengadilan (nonlitigasi) berupa negosiasi dalam menyelesaikan sengketa yang terjadi dalam implementasi pemberian ganti kerugian. Kata kunci :Perjanjian, Wanprestasi, Implementasi ganti kerugian

Towards quantifying interaction networks in a football match

We present several novel methods quantifying dynamic interactions in simulated football games. These interactions are captured in directed networks that represent significant coupled dynamics, detected information-theoretically. The model-free approach measures information dynamics of both pair-wise players' interactions as well as local tactical contests produced during RoboCup 2D Simulation League games. This analysis involves computation of information transfer and storage, relating the information transfer to responsiveness of the players and the team, and the information storage within the team to the team's rigidity and lack of tactical flexibility. The resultant directed networks (interaction diagrams) and the measures of responsiveness and rigidity reveal implicit interactions, across teams, that may be delayed and/or long-ranged. The analysis was verified with a number of experiments, identifying the zones of the most intense competition and the extent of interactions

Early lock-in of structured and specialised information flows during neural development

The brains of many organisms are capable of complicated distributed computation underpinned by a highly advanced information processing capacity. Although substantial progress has been made towards characterising the information flow component of this capacity in mature brains, there is a distinct lack of work characterising its emergence during neural development. This lack of progress has been largely driven by the lack of effective estimators of information processing operations for spiking data. Here, we leverage recent advances in this estimation task in order to quantify the changes in transfer entropy during development. We do so by studying the changes in the intrinsic dynamics of the spontaneous activity of developing dissociated neural cell cultures. We find that the quantity of information flowing across these networks undergoes a dramatic increase across development. Moreover, the spatial structure of these flows exhibits a tendency to lock-in at the point when they arise. We also characterise the flow of information during the crucial periods of population bursts. We find that, during these bursts, nodes tend to undertake specialised computational roles as either transmitters, mediators, or receivers of information, with these roles tending to align with their average spike ordering. Further, we find that these roles are regularly locked-in when the information flows are established. Finally, we compare these results to information flows in a model network developing according to a spike-timing- dependent plasticity learning rule. Similar temporal patterns in the development of information flows were observed in these networks, hinting at the broader generality of these phenomena.David P Shorten, Viola Priesemann, Michael Wibral, Joseph T Lizie

Origins of scaling in genetic code

“The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com” Copyright SpringerThe principle of least effort in communications has been shown, by Ferrer i Cancho and Sol´e, to explain emergence of power laws (e.g., Zipf’s law) in human languages. This paper applies the principle and the informationtheoretic model of Ferrer i Cancho and Sol´e to genetic coding. The application of the principle is achieved via equating the ambiguity of signals used by “speakers” with codon usage, on the one hand, and the effort of “hearers” with needs of amino acid translation mechanics, on the other hand. The re-interpreted model captures the case of the typical (vertical) gene transfer, and confirms that Zipf’s law can be found in the transition between referentially useless systems (i.e., ambiguous genetic coding) and indexical reference systems (i.e., zero-redundancy genetic coding). As with linguistic symbols, arranging genetic codes according to Zipf’s law is observed to be the optimal solution for maximising the referential power under the effort constraints. Thus, the model identifies the origins of scaling in genetic coding — via a trade-off between codon usage and needs of amino acid translation. Furthermore, the paper extends Ferrer i Cancho – Sol´e model to multiple inputs, reaching out toward the case of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) where multiple contributors may share the same genetic coding. Importantly, the extended model also leads to a sharp transition between referentially useless systems (ambiguous HGT) and indexical reference systems (zero-redundancy HGT). Zipf’s law is also observed to be the optimal solution in the HGT case.Peer reviewe