A generalized concept of information transfer

Information theory provides shortcuts that allow dealing with complex systems. The maximum entropy principle developed by Jaynes is broadly utilized for this approach. However, an extension of this maximum entropy principle to systems far from equilibrium is problematic because it requires an adequate choice of constraints. In this paper, we define an amount of information and develop a simple concept of information transfer, which is applicable to natural systems and requires no choice of adequate constraints. It will be demonstrated that such an information transfer concept yields a working formalism, which allows rationalizing various well known laws, such as Fick's first law, as being based on an ideal information transfer process. In the case of the Titius-Bode rule, the formalism enables to get a new point of view on this controversial cosmological phenomenon. It suggests the hypothesis that a Titius-Bode-like correlation must be more generally a correlation between rational numbers and the periods of the planets. A consequent tracking of this hypothesis discloses finally that the periods of the large objects of our solar system are clearly correlated to two independent series of rational numbers. (C) 2011 Physics Essays Publication. [DOI: 10.4006/1.3601352]