In physics, the Bekenstein bound is an upper limit on the entropy S, or information I, that can be contained within a given finite region of space which has a finite amount of energy—or conversely, the maximum amount of information required to perfectly describe a given physical system down to the quantum level. It implies that the information of a physical system, or the information necessary to perfectly describe that system, must be finite if the region of space and the energy is finite. In computer science, this implies that there is a maximum information-processing rate for a physical system that has a finite size and energy, and that a Turing machine with unbounded memory is not physically possible.
Famous quotes containing the word bound:
“Edith: This complete loveliness will fade. And we shall forget what it was like.
Edward: Edith, don’t.
Edith: Oh, it’s bound to. Just a few years and the gilt wears off the gingerbread.
Edward: Darling, answer me one thing truthfully. Have you ever seen gingerbread with gilt on it?
Edith: [laughing] Fool!
Edward: Then the whole argument is disposed of.”
—Reginald Berkeley (1890 N1935)