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    Information Theory Turns 75

The idea that shaped the digital world

75 years ago, a paper titled “A Mathematical Theory of Communications” appeared in the Bell System Technical Journal. The world would never be the same. In that paper, Bell Labs researcher Claude Shannon laid out the principles that govern all communications. He also first described the “bit” – the most fundamental unit of digital information. Shannon’s Information Theory set the stage for modern wireless and wireline communications, computing, digital media and even the internet itself. Today Shannon’s legacy is everywhere – in the smartphones in our pockets, in the movies we stream to our TVs and in every single individual bit within the billions upon billions of Terabytes that traverse global networks each year.

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The father of Information Theory

Learn about the multifaceted researcher Claude Shannon and the indelible mark he made on modern technological innovation
 

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Claude Shannon

How Information Theory impacts the world today

How information theory impacts the world today - infographic

How Shannon inspired our researchers

The impact of Claude Shannon’s information theory has reverberated far and wide in the 75 years since his monumental discovery at Bell Labs.  Hear from current Nokia Bell Labs researchers describing how Shannon’s work has affected their lives and careers.

“Shannon's insights have shaped the entire telecommunication industry. His Shannon-capacity formula is THE benchmark that is used by everyone researching and designing new telecommunication technologies. It's a benchmark, a tool, a goal to strive for.”
Werner Coomans
Technology Advisor, Strategy and Technology
“The close connection to real communication problems, the art of idealization and the elegance of results from Shannon's 1948 paper are really fascinating. It deeply influenced the way of doing my research, inspired me to explore the possibilities of next generation wireless communication systems, while seeking understanding of fundamental limits to benchmark research progress.”
Jinfeng Du
Department head, Radio Systems USA
“Claude Shannon has been a tremendous inspiration. He is unquestionably one of the unsung technology heroes of the last century. Shannon's landmark paper, "A mathematical theory of communication," and the elegance of his formulation of a complex problem inspired me to pursue my PhD in information theory and to join Bell Labs, Shannon's intellectual home when he wrote his seminal paper.”
Thierry Klein
President, Bell Labs Solutions Research
“While I have always been in awe of Claude Shannon for his groundbreaking 1948 paper on “A Mathematical Theory of Communication,” which established him as the Founder of Information Theory, I was further inspired by the 1955 paper he co-authored, “A Proposal for the Dartmouth Summer Research Project on Artificial Intelligence,” which launched the Dartmouth conference formalizing the field of artificial intelligence in 1956.”
Anne Lee
Senior Technology Advisor
“It's hard to overstate the impact that Shannon has had in the revolution that is communication, and all the societal changes that enabled. If you step back and consider the role that his work has had in connecting the world, it's been simply amazing.”
Tod Sizer
Head of Optical Systems and Device Research, Bell Labs
“When I started my PhD, my first reading was Shannon's pivotal paper on information theory. To me, it showed the beautiful interplay between mathematics, statistics and communication theory. It made me understand the huge potential of these ideas for developing advanced communication systems. It has motivated me ever since to contribute to the exciting field of information and communication technology.”
Paschalis Tsiaflakis
Bell Labs research engineer
“Gaining an understanding of the fundamental limit is still very much part of how we research problems at Bell Labs today. Shannon's theory has shown us the way to push the boundaries of many modern communication systems including wireless, DSL copper and fiber.”
Peter Vetter
President, Bell Labs Core Research

A Mathematical Theory of Communication

Read the famous paper in its original form preserved in the Nokia Bell Labs archives. In this seminal work, Shannon illustrated the fundamental principles governing any communication channel, whether a transmission between a smartphone and a tower or a conversation between two people in a crowded room.
 

Read the paper

The Bell Systems Technical Journal excerpt

The brilliance of Claude Shannon

Information Theory was just one of the many contributions Shannon made to science

Claude Shannon

The Shannon Limit

In 1948, Claude Shannon discovered that all communication channels have a fundamental limit in the capacity they can transmit.

Theseus

Theseus the Mouse

Theseus," a magnetic mouse using relay circuits to navigate a maze, demonstrating early concepts of AI and machine learning in the 1950s.