A Proposal about the Meaning of Scale, Scope and Resolution in the Context of the Information Interpretation Process

Abstract

When considering perceptions, the observation scale and resolution are closely related properties. There is consensus on considering resolution as the density of the elementary pieces of information in a specified information space. On the other hand, with the concept of scale, several conceptions compete for a consistent meaning. Scale is typically regarded as a way to indicate the degree of detail in which an observation is performed. Surprisingly, there is not a unified definition of scale as a description’s property. This paper offers a precise definition of scale and a method to quantify it as a property associated with the interpretation of a description. To complete the parameters needed to describe the perception of a description, the concepts of scope and resolution are also revealed with an exact meaning. A model describing a recursive process of interpretation, based on evolving steps of scale, scope and resolution, is introduced. The model relies on the conception of observation scale and its association to the selection of symbols. Five experiments illustrate the application of these concepts, showing that resolution, scale and scope integrate the set of properties to define any point of view from which an observation is performed and interpreted. The results obtained for descriptions expressed in one and two dimensions, are the basis for a comparison of the perceivable symbolic information from different interpretations of the same descriptions. In conclusion, this study provides a framework for building models of our interpretation process and suggests ways to understand some mechanisms in the formation of information from initially meaningless symbols.

Keywords

• interpretation
• scale
• fundamental scale
• scope
• resolution
• information