This project is concerned with the rigorous application of information theory to purpose-seeking behavior, to answer the question of how organisms use and process information. To this end, our project proceeds in two directions, addressing the following questions: first, can we use information theory to understand how an organism processes and uses information, thus revealing agentic behavior through all phases of an organism's life cycle? Second, how do organisms use the semantics of information to increase their fitness?
To carry out the project, we will investigate the role of the Kelly criterion and rate-distortion theory, information-theoretic techniques for understanding the relationship between information processing and growth. In particular, Kelly betting predicts that an organism’s growth rate is related to a fundamental quantity called mutual information. While it is widely believed that mutual information can predict growth rate, we consider a converse question: given an information-growth tradeoff, can we understand how the organism values information, and from that can we understand the organism's agency and goals?
The project is needed, and the time is right for it: a principled understanding of information processing in organisms will help us understand how populations interact, and even how harmful organisms, such as pathogens and cancers, can grow exponentially. The project will deliver answers to the given research questions, primarily through publications in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals, ensuring that results are open-access and available to all. The impact of this project would be significant in both ecology and information theory, and would open up new avenues of research that will take many years to explore.
