The key to idea generations:

Improvement of the system is the management of its information content

Igor Zadesenets
Mechanical Engineer; independent researcher

Abstract

In this paper, the informational approach for determining the possible ways of systems
development is proposed. The idea is understood as one of the implementations of such possible
ways. Information is accepted as a means of compensating for entropy (uncertainty). Entropy is
the function of the number of possible events (potential system states).
It is proposed to define systems fighting with entropy and acting under restrictions as a
separate class. This definition covers technical systems, living creatures, organizations. For
compensating entropy collecting adequate information about the system environment is
necessary. At some stages skipping unnecessary information (simplifying the system) and
adjusting the values of the information parameters to optimal for transmission to an effector may
be needed. These statements are the core of the Information Hypothesis. By analyzing the
Informational Theory theorems and equations, specific ways of controlling information may be
determined. These ways have numerous parallels in various methods of improving systems.
For some of the ways for improvement systems, suggested by the Informational
Hypothesis, no analogs in experience-based tools were found. However, these particular ways
may be illustrated by bright examples. This gives hope for scientific validation of the proposed
hypothesis and for further findings.

Introduction

The ability to find new ideas is one of the most important skills, personal and collective,
and the key to the success of most of organizations. There are many methods used for improving
this capability. Methods designed to generate as many ideas as possible have reached their limits.
Even the most accepted brainstorming is still controversial (Furnham, 2000). All known
systematic methods, based on focusing of the search area, are based on experience. This origin
hides their strength and their weakness. The innovation practice is the reach source of examples.
On the other hand, a practical approach leaves unresolved such important questions as defining
application area and validity. Therefore, the theoretical approach also should be useful. The
additional advantage of the theoretical approach is the potential regulation of the diversity of
tools.
What can serve as the basis for a theoretical approach? The formal, classical, logic
intended for checking the validity of conclusions rather than new discoveries. Dialectics seemed
to be the new very promising thinking method two hundred years ago but remains vague
(Popper, 1940), however, vagueness can be an advantage for vague cases (Groisman, 2007).
Cybernetics and a System Approach, actually, closely related, were considered as the basis for
the scientific method of searching for new ideas, and they really made significant impact in
sciences. However, for engineering applications, their recommendations are too general. For
creating specific tools, the general laws should be interpreted for application to specific areas.

The vagueness of experience

Lean, Six Sigma, Axiomatic Design, QFD, TRIZ/OTSM-TRIZ/x-TRIZ/i-TRIZ,

SIT/ASIT, TOC... In the pursuit of new ideas, companies try to implement different “thinking
methods”. Why are there so many and is it possible to define the best? What method is best
suited for a specific industry, company, division or specific problem? The “Trial and error”
method is very powerful but time-consuming. Actually, its main advantage is ease of
implementing. It is completely impossible to learn all the diversity of other methods. I asked a
few Lean champions, all of them were not able even to pronounce even half of the items listed
above. Success stories and lists of companies successfully used one or other methods cannot be
taken as an indicator. Management, taking the decision about implementation of a method,
usually expects to see the proofs of its effectiveness. Employees joyfully produce success stories.
The stronger the leadership believes in the method, the stronger the temptation. Almost any
routine solution may be passed off as a result of using a simple tool. My observation, related to
Lean implementation, shows, that the opposite cases, when a solution is a fair result of using
thinking tools are very rare.
 We see what we prepared to see. We perceive even simplest facts through our
expectations, through some “theories” or some "philosophy". Dan Pink in his brilliant TED
speech once exclaimed “This is not a feeling. I’m a lawyer, I have no feelings. This is not a
philosophy. I’m an American, I don’t believe in the philosophy” (Pink, 2009) The problem is,
that not believing in philosophy also is the kind of the philosophy. No fact may be understood
without a theory. No set of facts allows making a valid conclusion without applying of some
theory (Popper, 1972). For comparing, selection, validation, combining, improvement, etc. of
methods intended for the generation of new ideas, the theoretical approach should be applied.
Such an approach involves common principles for explaining specific things. (Popper, 1979). I
propose to apply for this purpose the concepts of entropy and information.

Entropy and information

A technical system can face different challenges. Usually, I drive my car very carefully
but sometimes a sharp breaking is necessary. Usually, the roads are dry but the car must also
show good behavior on a slippery surface. Usually, the weather is hot in our country but
sometimes I should switch on the heating. The possibility of facing different situations with
different probabilities is called Entropy or Uncertainty. According to the famous Ashby theorem,
entropy may be compensated only by applying information. (Ashby, 1956) Generally,
information may be defined as the mean for compensating entropy (on the other hand, entropy is
defined as a measure for lack of information).
So, for compensation the entropy, we need more means for compensation the entropy?
What all this tricky wordplay for? Two things are important here. At first, the entropy is the
general, universal concept. Any potential challenge for a system can be attributed to entropy. By
the way, the class of systems struggling with entropy is very broad. It includes technical systems,
organizations, some informational systems (for example - databases), living creatures. Second,
the Ashby theorem says that compensation of entropy can be provided only by applying
Information and by nothing else. So, the only thing that needs a system struggling with entropy is
information. It means, that, any system struggling with entropy strives for gathering as much
adequate information as possible about potential challenges. This statement is no more than the
direct outcome from the Ashby theorem, so, it may be considered tautology. I propose to
distinguish such systems into a separate class. Our further considerations will concern only this
class of systems.
Systems dealing with entropy and information highly likely act under restrictions.
Really, entropy and information propagate through changes in the system state. One of the main
conditions for the existence of any state is some restriction for arbitrary transitions to other
states. I propose to add this condition to the definition of the considered class of systems. Storing
and transition of information needs a material carrier. It means that the gathering of information
cannot be provided infinitely. At some point, refusing the idle information, decreasing excessive
complexity is necessary. First of all, it should be done on the conceptual design stage.
I will try to show, that defined class of systems, namely systems fighting with entropy
under restrictions, are developed in specific ways. Mainly the progress is realized by
collecting adequate information (increasing the complexity) about potential challenges. At
some stages, development is carried out by skipping unnecessary information, simplifying
the system. I call this statement an Informational Hypothesis. Detailing the ways for
controlling information content can help in understanding the trends of the evolution of such
systems.
Knowing the trends of development unveils the options for improving things and
situations. Such options are realized by the generation of new and useful ideas. (Altshuller, 1999;
Cavallucci and Rousselot, 2011; Terninko et al., 1998).
The equation for an amount of information is:

(1)
where pi is the probability of occurrence of the i-th possible event (The
Shannon formula). The same equation fits for the entropy.
Accepting an event as some change of a system element, we obtain that the information
content grows with increasing the number of elements and number of changes.
As it follows from the equation, the information content reaches its maximum when all
events have the same probability. In other words, the events should be independent. If one event
is fully defined by another, it cannot bore any additional information. Weakening the
dependencies between variables may be considered as decreasing of the Symmetry. The
Symmetry concept is one of the most universal. It is observed when an object preserves some
properties (for example, shape) under some transformation (for example, rotating or scaling).
The spatial symmetry is the most well-known. Other kinds of symmetry also may be considered.
Various properties can persist during different transformations. As an example, may be taken the
preservation of the energy in time or preservation of the mass with the transformation of an
object state. Breaking the symmetry, fighting with symmetry as the way of systems developing is
widely discussed, especially in biology.
Weakening dependencies between variables may be also considered as increasing
flexibility. The opposite property, stiffness, is, in fact, the disability for changes in changeable
environment. Besides the simplest mechanical flexibility, other types also may be taken into
account. For example, flexible management shows the ability to change strategies due to
variations in the business ambiance.
At last, weakening dependencies between variables leads to the autonomy of the system
elements.
A sequence of events may also be described in some “text”, some organized list of
symbols or marks. Any measurable or comparable feature of an object or a system - a peculiarity
of shape, existence or absence of element, changing of state, a shift of parameter value, etc., may
serve as a symbol.
For example, a stone ax has a wood handle, a stone cutter, a joint. So, it contains more
information than the simplest stone scraper. A stone arrow is no more complex than a stone ax,
but a united system arrow & arch contains far more information. The more sophisticated is a
system the more “symbols” it contains. In this point of view, the development of a system is just
writing a “text”, or at least, adding symbols. Building a pyramid in Giza Plateau or printing a
character on a label both may be considered as adding a symbol. For successful compensation of
entropy, a system must contain adequate information about regulated systems (Conant and Ross
Ashby, 1970). In other words, it must contain the model of the regulated systems. The
information must be transformed and transmitted to an effector. During all the transformations,
the Information (complexity) must be preserved. So, storage and transmission may be considered
as two states of the same entity.
As Ashby noted “... the act of “designing” or “making” a machine is essentially an act
of communication from Maker to Made, and the principles of communication theory apply to it.
In particular, the measures that were developed for treating the case in which various possible
messages are reduced to one message can now be applied to the case when various possible
machines are reduced to one machine. A useful conceptual device for forcing this aspect into
prominence is to imagine that the act of designing has to take place through the telephone, or by
some other specific channel. The quantities of variety can then readily be identified by
identification of the actual quantity of information that will have to be transmitted.” (Ashby,
1956, page 253)
The transmission channel also may be considered as a model of a system (part of a
system). On this evidence, the Shannon–Hartley theorem (Shannon, 1949) for defining channel
capacity may be used for discovering the ways for increasing the system information content.

C=B*log2(1+S/N) (2)

where
 C is the channel capacity.
 B is the bandwidth of the channel. For our purposes, it is enough to consider the
bandwidth as the working frequency.
 S is the average received signal power over the bandwidth
 N is the average power of the noise and interference over the bandwidth.
The last two parameters define the maximum theoretical accuracy of signal change
detection. Formula shows, that the information content, measured in time, grows with an
increased time interval, frequency and signal power. Similarly, the information content,
measured in space, should grow with increasing space interval (length or angular dimension,
area, volume), symbols compaction and increasing of marks differentiation.
As was noted above, on a higher level, the information content may be increased by
opening new channels (increasing the number of variable parameters). Some objects can obtain
new properties due to the change in states. For example, iron losses and obtains ferromagnetic
properties due to temperature changes. Obviously, the growth of the information content may be
achieved by increasing the number of system elements. This may be done in two ways. The first,
“internal” way is realized by dividing a system into several parts. The second, “external” way is
realized by adding elements or joining systems. Existence or absence of elements also may be
considered as “marks” in an information channel. In this point of view, the differentiation of the
elements also allows storing additional information. Elements with different properties are useful
for performing different functions. For example, a set of drills with different diameters allows
making a variety of holes. Similar considerations may be applied for actions or functions.
Differentiation of actions also leads to increasing information content. Maximum differentiation
is achieved in pare action-anti action, for example, heating-cooling.
For the reduction of the information content (decreasing the complexity), the opposite
means may be used. The list of such means includes decreasing the number of system elements
by trimming, union or encapsulation, unification between elements and within elements,
decreasing the number of variable parameters, narrowing the borders and reducing the
amplitudes. Probably, in some cases, even amplifying the noise may be useful.
A lot of parallels may be found between the Information Hypothesis outcomes and
different systems improvement methods. Details are present in Table 1.

The Information Related methods of The source Example

N Hypothesis improving systems and method
outcomes specific tools
1 Increasing the
information
content
1.1 Increasing the Segmentation TRIZ Abrasive blasting
number of instead of a hard tool.
elements A book instead of a
by the division Division SIT scroll
1.2 Increasing the Merging TRIZ The Internet.
number of system
elements A few cameras in
by merging Multiplication SIT modern smartphones.
1.3 Differentiation Multiplication SIT Set of frying pans
between elements
1.4 Differentiation Local quality TRIZ Case-
within elements Composite materials hardening. Multi-focal
lenses
Porous materials
1.5 Increasing the Phase transitions TRIZ Cast metal
number of states manufacturing
1.6 Increasing the The first part of the TRIZ The gesture control in
number of variable TRIZ Dynamics smartphones. Not only
parameters principle: Allow (or the position of the
design) the touching point but also
characteristics of an its motion is taking into
object, external account
environment, or process
to change to be optimal
or to find an optimal
operating condition.
Universality
Parameters change.
Color changes.

OTSM
Object-attribute-value
-TRIZ
model
1.7 Increasing the The Independence Axiomatic
Independence Axiom design
between variables
Attribute Dependency SIT
Taking out, Copying TRIZ
1.7.1 - by increasing the Asymmetry principle TRIZ Asymmetrical mixing
Asymmetry vessels for a better
mixing process
1.7.2 - by increasing the SMED Lean Quick setup allows
flexibility producing of small
batches and flexible
response for the market
requirements
 The third part of the TRIZ The office chairs
Dynamics principle: If
an object (or process) is
rigid or inflexible, make
it movable or adaptive.
1.7.3 - by obtaining the Mobile telephone.
autonomy, Rechargeable vacuum
encapsulation cleaner.
SWAT team
1.8 Borders expansion

1.8.1 - in time Preliminary action, TRIZ For providing the quick

preliminary counter- setup, all possible
action, after-action, preparations are
beforehand cushioning performed before the
SMED Lean setup start
1.8.2 - in space Another dimension, TRIZ multi-level parking
Nested doll
1.9 Reduction of the
period of changes
1.9.1 - in time Periodic action TRIZ
Common Increasing the
trend computer clock speed
1.9.2 - in space Miniaturization Common
trend
1.10 Increasing the Strong oxidants TRIZ
Power
Common The microwave oven
practice uses the powerful radio
wave for heating
1.11 The noise Intermediary TRIZ
suppression
2 Reduction of the
information
 content
2.1 Reduction the Trimming TRIZ
number of Subtraction SIT
elements by 8 wastes, 5S, Kanban Lean Optimal organization
excluding elements of the working
or processes environment leads to
excluding unnecessary
movements
2.2 Reduction the Merging TRIZ The electronic chip
number of contains thousands of
elements by union transistors.
With the planar
process, all the
components are treated
simultaneously
2.3 Unification Homogeneity TRIZ
between elements Common
Standardization, trend, Standard shipping
unification Lean containers
2.4 Unification within Common Mixing of concrete due
elements and trend to transportation
processes prevents stratification
2.5. Preventing the 3D printing by laser
phase transitions sintering of powders
2.5 Decreasing the The information axiom Axiomatic
number of variable design
parameters
Quality Maintaining stable
control temperature, humidity,
methods pressure in cleanrooms.
A part once fixed in a
machining center is not
Equipotentiality TRIZ removed until all
 operations completion

2.6 Increasing the Feedback TRIZ

dependencies
between variables
2.6.1 - by increasing the Spheroidality TRIZ
Symmetry Using the Symmetrical Common
forms practice
2.6.2 - by increasing the Stiff, rigid constructions Common
stiffness practice
2.6.3 - by organizing Social network
additional relations
2.7 Borders narrowing
2.7.1 - in time Kanban Lean Just in time production
reduces the waiting
time and saves storage
space
Cut plastic faster than
the sound wave can
propagate in the
Skipping TRIZ material, to avoid
deforming the shape
Cheap short leaving
objects
Discarding and Discarding the spent
recovering TRIZ rocket stage
2.7.2 - in space Thin films TRIZ Flexitank
Common Tool sharpening,
practice precision material
processing
2.8 Increasing the
period of change
(smoothness)
2.8.1 - in time Continuous of useful TRIZ Floating fish factory
 action works during the haul
transportation
2.8.2 - in space Common Smooth surface
practice
2.9 Decreasing the Inert atmosphere TRIZ
Power Common Using special low-
practice temperature powders
for machine washing

Table 1. The parallels between Information Hypothesis outcomes and different Systems
Improving methods tools

The TRIZ principles are the most widely present in the table. This is not surprised since
TRIZ is the most elaborated method, containing not only Inventive Principles but also many of
other tools. I limited myself to considering principles only, as one of the basic and most widely
used. The Lean tools are present mostly in the second part of the table, dedicated to the
simplification of systems. It sounds reasonable due to the main purpose of the method.
For some of the Hypothesis outcome, no related tools were observed. Obviously because
of their too common, too trivial character. There is nothing new in a thick pillar or symmetrical
wineglass.
The location of some principles in a particular cell may be considered subjective or, at
least, not exactly clarified. For example, the "Discarding and recovering principle" is classified
as "borders narrowing in time" because it describes the limitation of the system component's
lifetime. For some principle, subjective categorization cannot be avoided due to their complex
nature. For example, the Preliminary Anti-Action principle obviously proposes the combination
of two different ways for improving a system.
For one of the Information Hypothesis outcomes, no direct conformity was found, despite
the existence of very bright examples. I mean the principle, that may be called the “Autonomy”.
The Self-Service Principle, by the way, very important, does not mean exactly the same. I dare to
hope that this outcome may be considered as a new and, although weak, supporting Hypothesis
argument. A similar observation may be done for increasing the information content by
increasing power. Despite the existence of numerous examples from different areas (laser
cutting, using an extremely strong magnetic field in MRI devices, etc.), the only principle present
in the cell is the relatively weak TRIZ principle “Strong oxidants”.
Table 1 presents 32 out of 40 TRIZ principles. Some of the TRIZ principles, which are
not included in the table, are very special. The “Thermal expansion”, “Anti-weight”, “Mechanics
substitution”, "Mechanical Vibration", “Pneumatic and Hydraulic” principles may be considered
as particular cases of the Information Control realization. Thermal expansion, for example,
obviously honored for providing smooth and precise movements. The same is true for Pneumatic
and Hydraulic.
Noise and Informational litter

Table 1 does not contain examples of noise reduction. The only principle, which may be
directly attributed to noise suppression is the “Intermediary” principle, where the Intermediary
serves as a filter. The topic of noise reduction should be discussed along with an understanding
of the information adequacy. As it’s said, “the litter is just the things out of place”. Similarly, the
information litter is entity out of place and time, or, in general, out of specifications. Therefore,
for preventing “informational pollution” and resources lost, an adjustment must be provided.
Obviously, a signal must arrive exactly where and when it can be detected and through the
channels, able to pass it. It means, that some problems may be resolved by the adjustment in
space and time. For example, a material must be processed by a sharp tool, because for cutting it
is enough to break the bond between two molecular layers only. Applying pressure to an area,
wider than the distance between molecules leads to an energy loss. Besides spatial and temporal,
other parameters can be adjusted. Actually, all the means for information control must be
reflected in the relevant equations. Therefore, the list of parameters can be created on the base of
the information control ways from Table 1.
The adjustment may be performed by a selection of proper kinds and number of variable
entities (objects, object’s states, processes, variable parameters), moving of space and time
borders, adjusting the period of changes, increasing or decreasing the signal amplitude (power),
changes in variable dependencies. Adjusting by selecting the proper object is closely
corresponding with “The other way around” principle.
Considerations about adjustment directly lead to such a powerful tool as the OTSM-TRIZ
“Tongs” model (Khomenko and Cooke, 2011).
 Collected information as a resource. The system model, optimal search order, Ideal Final
Result

The collection of information about the environment is, maybe, one of the main goals of
development technical systems, human societies, the formation of species. Collected information
is, maybe, also the main development means.
The most prominent justification for this statement may be discovered in the Biology. For
example, once created by cyanobacteria, the chlorophyllic synthesis was deployed by all plants.
Moreover, the whole chloroplast organelles are considered to have stolen from cyanobacteria.
Similarly, the energy plants of living cells, Mitochondrias, considered to have come in similar
way. Technical system passes through stages of design, modelling and testing. For complex
systems the last stage takes no less time than the first. Using previously designed and tested
system components seems very reasonable. The prevalence of hierarchically organized systems
partially is caused by the objective to save collected information (Simon, 1991). Another
advantage of hierarchical systems, corresponding to the Information Hypothesis, is the increased
flexibility due to the extended independence of system components.
Anyway, the hierarchical structure is the fact, that should be taken into account due to
setting of a system development goals. I dare to pronounce a few trivial things. Almost any
designed or invented entity is the part of a higher-level system. This means, that most of
problems may be re-formulated in the context of different hierarchical levels. The simplest tool,
illustrating this statement, maybe analogical of “5 Whys” tool - “a few For What”:
 For what the X-ray must be used? - For destroying the tumor.
 For what the tumor must be destroyed? - For the healing.
 For what the healing is necessary? - For happiness.
 For what one should be the happy? - ???
It seems the list is over; the last question looks rhetorical. This is the reason, why the
tradition of “n-dimensional” tools: 8 Wastes, 5S, 9-screens, etc., is difficult to maintain in this
particular case. The problem may be resolved by finding the proper way of using the X-rays, by
prescribing optimal treatment for destroying the tumor, by selection right healing strategy, or by
finding the way to be happy despite the tumor. By the way, it may be done also by preventing the
tumor appearance or, at least, by early detecting. At the first glance, resolving the problem on
higher level and on early stage seems preferred. Actually, what the patient needs is healthy and
happy. On the other hand, the level, at which solution will be implemented must be available to
the solver (Goldenberg et al., 2003).
Common practice for solving problems involves generating as many ideas as possible in
the hope of choosing the right one. This custom is far from optimal, and not only because it is
time consuming. Popped up firstly weak solutions can create a “mental rut”, hinders the better
ideas (Smith, 1995; Ward et al., 2002; Alipour et al., 2018. To prevent such issues, TRIZ
proposes first to formulate an Ideal Final Result (IFR). The Ideal result is the best of all one can
imagine. One of the ways to determine the Ideal Result is to imagine a magic wand that can be
swung over a problematic situation to achieve any desired situation. The IFR is considered as a
very power TRIZ tool.
The cost of information collected in the system and the risk associated with its loss
should also be taken into account. To preserve information, the most desirable result would be
the absence of any changes. This condition is also reflected in TRIZ formulations of IFR. The
other formulation of the same principle - permission to use only ready-made, proven solutions.
From different points of view, other conditions may be formulated. To avoid complicating the
system, the principle of “Closed World”, taken from SIT (Horowitz, 1999; Barak and Albert,
2017; Barak, 2004) can be implemented. This principle allows to use only entities that are
already in the system to solve the problem. The last tool is very closely related to TRIZ concept
of resources and “Self-service” principle. From the customer point of view the “Wide Kanban”
principle may be formulated. According to this principle, the solution should allow to supply to
the customer exactly what is needed, exactly in time, directly to the requested point, exactly in
requested quality and quantity. The list of different Ideal Result formulations may be extended. I
dare to note, that for my opinion, the formulation of separated principles instead of creation
combined tools (algorithms) so favorable in the TRIZ is preferred.

Conclusion

Scientia potentia est (knowledge is power). The problem is not a problem if the solution
is known. The best way to solve the problem is to apply relevant information. The problem is not
a problem if the relevant tool may be used. There is no problem in spreading butter on bread with
a knife. We create our tools, our technologies for solving our problems. It sounds reasonable,
that this is possible thanks to the knowledge, or information containing in our crafts. Something
similar may be said about bodies of living creatures. Nature gifted a bear with the incredible
smell, warm fur, and sharp claws. All these “devices” are intended for dealing with challenges a
bear can meet in its environment. “Sophisticated”, “advanced” creatures can deal with a diversity
of challenges.
The point of view for development as for controlling information content, which I call the
Information Hypothesis, seems promising for explaining many development trends. There are
two main tendencies, directed opposite. The last fact is slightly confusing. The tendency toward
an increase an information content (complexity) is prevailing. Increase in information content is
achieved by an increase in a number of system elements, variable parameters, diversity within
elements and between elements, flexibility, asymmetry, etc. The tendency towards a decrease in
the content (simplification) is realized by opposite transformations, for example, “trimming”
elements or processes or making things rigid and unchangeable. Depending on the development
stage, proper goals can be set and proper transformations can be found. These transformations
have much in common with different tools used in different “thinking methods”. This gives hope
for restoring order in an incredible variety of tools and for the new findings. The applicational
area of possible findings is limited due to the relatively narrow class of systems intended for
compensation of entropy. The Information Hypothesis, most probably, gives nothing for
resolving (or creating tools for resolving) mathematical riddles, enhancing the art creativity skills
or making breakthrough scientific discoveries. Most likely, we still cannot formulate principle,
useful for resolving problems like: “If you have black socks and brown socks in your drawer,
mixed in a ratio of 4 to 5, how many socks will you have to take out blindly to make sure that
you have a pair of the same color?” (Davidson et al., 2003). However, advances in understanding
common trends of development such different systems as biological, technical, social and
creating new tools is the interesting and deserving task.

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