A general theory of entropy. Fuzzy rational foundations of information-knowledge certainty (Q2313104)

It is claimed that here a ``framework of the cognition of universal existence'' is presented which aims at the ``development of the general theory of knowing'' (p.~xv). This framework consists of ``info-statics and info-dynamics and their relational connectivity within the methodological constructionism-reductionism duality regarding the understanding of the solution to the variety identification problem as well as the solution to the variety transformation problem. The development of the understanding of the interplay of forces in the organic problem-solution duality in relational continuum and unity in variety identifications and transformations constitutes the theory of knowing involving acquaintance to construct epistemological information (knowledge by acquaintance or experimental information) and description to construct knowledge structures with a paradigm (knowledge by description) in the epistemological space. The paradigm of thought of the theory of knowing is the fuzzy paradigm of thought with its logic and mathematics.'' (p.~vii). The varieties to be identified are ``potential, possible, probable, actual'' (Figure~1.1, p.~3) and they are transformed in an epistemological process in a clock-wise cycle and in an ontological process in a counter-clock wise cycle. According to the title of the book the central concept of the book is `entropy': ``entropy is definable over the epistemological space and must be related to the measures of the lack of information-knowledge contents contained in the identification process of varieties and their identities in exact and inexact spaces of epistemic process in time and over time$\dots$\ Over the epistemological space, there are two categories of entropies consisting of exact entropy defined over the exact probability space and inexact entropy defined over the fuzzy-probability space. The inexact entropy is made up of fuzzy entropy, fuzzy-stochastic entropy and stochastic-fuzzy entropy defined over the fuzzy-probability space'' (p.~15). None of these notions or their differences are further explained using real-world examples and the dedication indicates that this book is ``on vagueness, ambiguity, subjectivity and the fuzzy paradigm of thought''. Philosophers who have considered vagueness agree that for vague statements there cannot be established a truth value and this holds also for this book -- it is a metaphysical speculation without connections with the real world. The author has constructed a subjective world filled with vague unprovable ideas. This kind of mental constructions belong to the past. Our world, our thinking, our truths and practice change together with our technology and our science, they all rapidly transform our understanding of our environment, our language and texts, our communication. Mathematics, the most polished tool for seeking `ideal truths' was not the same after the introduction of written proofs, computer proofs changed it in a new direction and allowed to prove hitherto non-provable statements; emerging mathematical treatments of quantum phenomena have already produced qualitatively new mathematical truths. We are already researching information processing in genes and proteins. Computers are a standard tool in scientific research, but here it is not clear, whether a computer was used even for text processing: unpaired parenthesis, references to non-existing formulae, notations of variables change, the same condition defines two different values (5.2.1.1. on p.~110) or definition subcases use different domains (5.2.1.3 on p.~110), graphs of functions (elementary examples of fuzzy set membership functions) have been created without use of plotting programs, some graphs are hand-adjusted, have strange bumps (the first graphs on p.~72, 73, 154), do not converge to the asymptote or do not correspond to the indicated formulae (the lower graph on p.~154), graphs have in place of parameters empty non-aligned boxes, in formulae division by zero is shown and `variable constants' (p.~24) etc. There are no real-world examples, as a supporting evidence a list of 962 references (with repetitions) is presented at the end of the book; the list includes political texts from Marx and Lenin, but nothing from brain science; from this list only the author's own texts are mainly used; however, on page~163 in one sentence a mass-reference to 509 items from this list is shown. This is not only useless, but for young readers (students) it can even be a harmful book (if they can force themselves to read it) -- their `fuzzy-stochastic ignorance' (p.~6) together with inability to understand `variable constants' in their `information-knowledge disparity' could influence them to explain in a job interview that they use `fuzzy paradigms of thought' (an often repeated phrase, the only one referring to thinking). In this case there is `fuzzy-stochastic possible-probable-certainty' that they will not get the job. The Greek παράδειγμα (paradeigma) means ``pattern, standard'', i.e. they are thinking using established patterns, but human thinking should not be based on established patterns -- this is what computers do, from humans critical, creative, innovative thinking is assumed and required -- something that is not (yet) available for computers. Metaphysics as presented in this book has been strongly criticized by many eminent researchers, e.g. in 1930 by the Vienna Circle group of scientists and philosophers, more recently by Stephen Hawking, Neil deGrasse Tyson and others, who all considered metaphysics as pseudo-statements -- words that at first glance may look like a meaningful text, but further examination reveals that the text is completely meaningless, subjective and vague, i.e. does not have even `fuzzy-stochastic' truth value.