!!! Overview
[{$pagename}] (information [entropy]) is the average rate at which [data] is produced by a [random] source of [data].


The basic model of a [data] [communication] system is composed of three elements:
* a source of [data] ([Provider|Provider of services])
* a [communication] [channel]
* a Receiver ([consumer|Consumer of services])

[{$pagename}] provides an absolute limit on the shortest possible average length of a lossless compression encoding of the [data] produced by a source, and if the [{$pagename}] of the source is less than the [channel] capacity of the [communication] [channel], the [data] generated by the [Provider|Provider of services] can be reliably communicated to the [consumer|Consumer of services].


[{$pagename}] was introduced as a concept by Claude Shannon in his [1948|Year 1948] paper "A Mathematical Theory of Communication".
As expressed by Shannon – the "fundamental problem of communication" is for the [consumer|Consumer of services] to be able to identify what [data] was generated by the [Provider|Provider of services], based on the signal it receives through the [channel]. 


!! More Information
There might be more information for this subject on one of the following:
[{ReferringPagesPlugin before='*' after='\n' }]