معلومات

معلومات (Information) هڪ تجريدي تصور آهي جيڪو ڪنهن اهڙي شيءِ ڏانهن اشارو ڪري ٿو جنهن ۾ معلومات ڏيڻ جي طاقت هجي. بنيادي طور تي، اها هن عنصرن جي تشريح سان لاڳاپيل آهي، جنهن کي محسوس ڪري سگهجي ٿو يا انهن جي تجريد آهي. ڪو به قدرتي عمل جيڪو مڪمل طور تي بي ترتيب نه آهي ۽ ڪنهن به وچولي ۾ ڪو به مشاهدي جي نموني کي معلومات چئي سگهجي ٿو. جڏهن ته ڊجيٽل سگنل ۽ ٻيا ڊيٽا معلومات پهچائڻ لاءِ ڌار ڌار نشانيون استعمال ڪندا آهن، ٻيا واقعا ۽ نمونا جهڙوڪ اينالاگ سگنل، نظم، تصويرون، موسيقي يا ٻيا آواز ۽ وهڪرا معلومات کي وڌيڪ مسلسل شڪل ۾ پهچائيندا آهن. معلومات پاڻ ڄاڻ نه آهي، پر اهو معني آهي، جيڪو نمائندگي مان، ان جي تشريح ذريعي حاصل ڪري سگهجي ٿو.

معلومات جو تصور لاڳاپيل يا مختلف تصورن سان ڳنڍيل آهي، جنهن ۾ پابندي، رابطو، ڪنٽرول، ڊيٽا، شڪل، تعليم، علم، معنيٰ، سڃاڻپ، دماغي محرڪ، نمونا، تصور، تجويز، نمائندگي ۽ اينٽراپي شامل آهن.

معلومات اڪثر ڪري ترتيب وار پروسس ڪئي ويندي آهي؛ هڪ قدم تي موجود ڊيٽا کي اهڙي معلومات ۾ پروسس ڪيو ويندو آهي، جيڪي ايندڙ قدم تي هن جي تشريح ۽ پروسيس ڪئي وڃي. مثال طور، لکت ۾ هر علامت يا اکر ان لفظ سان لاڳاپيل معلومات پهچائي ٿو جنهن جو اها حصا آهن، هر لفظ ان جملي سان لاڳاپيل معلومات پهچائي ٿو جنهن جو اهو حصو آهي، هر جملو ان جملي سان لاڳاپيل معلومات پهچائي ٿو، جنهن جو اهو حصو آهي ۽ ائين اها سلسلو هلندو رهي ٿو جيستائين آخري مرحلي تي هن معلومات جي تشريح نه ڪئي وڃي ۽ هڪ ڏنل ڊومين ۾ علم نه بڻجي وڃي.

Information is often processed iteratively: Data available at one step are processed into information to be interpreted and processed at the next step. For example, in written text each symbol or letter conveys information relevant to the word it is part of, each word conveys information relevant to the phrase it is part of, each phrase conveys information relevant to the sentence it is part of, and so on until at the final step information is interpreted and becomes knowledge in a given domain. In a digital signal, bits may be interpreted into the symbols, letters, numbers, or structures that convey the information available at the next level up. The key characteristic of information is that it is subject to interpretation and processing.

The derivation of information from a signal or message may be thought of as the resolution of ambiguity or uncertainty that arises during the interpretation of patterns within the signal or message.

Information may be structured as data. Redundant data can be compressed up to an optimal size, which is the theoretical limit of compression.

The information available through a collection of data may be derived by analysis. For example, a restaurant collects data from every customer order. That information may be analyzed to produce knowledge that is put to use when the business subsequently wants to identify the most popular or least popular dish.^{[حوالو گهربل]}

Information can be transmitted in time, via data storage, and space, via communication and telecommunication. Information is expressed either as the content of a message or through direct or indirect observation. That which is perceived can be construed as a message in its own right, and in that sense, all information is always conveyed as the content of a message.

Information can be encoded into various forms for transmission and interpretation (for example, information may be encoded into a sequence of signs, or transmitted via a signal). It can also be encrypted for safe storage and communication.

The uncertainty of an event is measured by its probability of occurrence. Uncertainty is proportional to the negative logarithm of the probability of occurrence. Information theory takes advantage of this by concluding that more uncertain events require more information to resolve their uncertainty. The bit is a typical unit of information. It is 'that which reduces uncertainty by half'. Other units such as the nat may be used. For example, the information encoded in one "fair" coin flip is log₂(2/1) = 1 bit, and in two fair coin flips is log₂(4/1) = 2 bits. A 2011 Science article estimates that 97% of technologically stored information was already in digital bits in 2007 and that the year 2002 was the beginning of the digital age for information storage (with digital storage capacity bypassing analogue for the first time).