Derivation of Principle of Extreme Physical Information
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The unknown amplitude law q(x) defining an observed effect may be found using the principle of Extreme Physical Information. EPI is derived as follows. The observations follow an information flow J --> I, with J the information intrinsic to the source and I the Fisher information level in its data, obeying (i) I=4 Integral dx q' -squared. Here q'= dq/dx and p(x) = q(x)-squared is the probability. It was previously shown, using L. Hardy's 5 axioms defining physics, that I = max. Therefore, its variation (ii) delta I = 0. Note that I is generic, obeying (i) for all source effects, whereas J is specific to the particular effect. Hence, rather than having form (i), J obeys (iii) J = Integral dx j[q(x),s(x)] with j some function of its arguments and s(x) a known source, such as of mass, biological fitness, etc. Information I decreases under any irreversible operation such as measurement, so that I l.e. J or, equivalently, I = kJ where 0 l.e. k l.e. 1. Then the variation delta I = k delta J so that property (ii) gives (iv) delta J = 0 as well. Then combining (ii) and (iv), delta(I - J) = 0. Or, I - J = L = extremum. What kind of extremum? Eqs. (i) and (iii) give (v) L=4q'^2 - j[q(x),s(x)]. Differentiating (v), (d^2 L )/(dq'^2) = +8. Then by the Legendre condition the extremum is a minimum. The unknown source effect obeys (vi) I - J= minimum, EPI.
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