An Information-Theoretic Analysis of Flexible Efficient Cognition for Persistent Sustainable Production

Abstract

Amidst certainty, efficiency can improve sustainability by reducing resource consumption. However, flexibility is needed to be able to survive when uncertainty increases. Apropos, sustainable production cannot persist in the long-term without having both flexibility and efficiency. Referring to cognitive science to inform the development of production systems is well established. However, recent research in cognitive science encompassing flexibility and efficiency in brain functioning have not been considered previously. In particular, research by others that encompasses information (I), information entropy (H), relative entropy (D), transfer entropy (TE), and brain entropy. By contrast, in this paper, flexibility and efficiency for persistent sustainable production is analyzed in relation to these information theory applications in cognitive science and is quantified in terms of information. Thus, this paper is consistent with the established practice of referring to cognitive science to inform the development of production systems. However, it is novel in addressing the need to combine flexibility and efficiency for persistent sustainability in terms of cognitive functioning as modelled with information theory.

Keywords

• brain entropy
• cognitive entropy
• efficiency
• flexibility
• production distributions
• relative entropy