Pragmatic information and dynamical instabilities in a multimode continuous-wave dye laser

Abstract

Observations of the behavior of a multimode continuous-wave dye laser around instabilities are interpreted using the concept of pragmatic information. It is demonstrated that this concept contains aspects of two different approaches toward the description of self-organizing system, namely, those of synergetics and of nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Both of them prove to be particularly relevant in the considered example. The key quantities of the two approaches (efficiency and entropy production) are related to a measure of pragmatic information. The significance of this measure for general issues referring to meaning, complexity, and evolution in self-organizing processes is indicated.