A universal tradeoff between power, precision and speed in physical communication

TL;DR

This paper establishes a universal physical tradeoff linking power, precision, and speed in communication systems, revealing fundamental limits and connecting friction with information geometry.

Contribution

It introduces a universal bound on the product of precision and speed based on power dissipation, extending classical theories with novel physical insights.

Findings

The product of precision and speed is bounded by power dissipation.

A new connection between friction and information geometry is demonstrated.

Results apply to both engineered and biological communication systems.

Abstract

Maximizing the speed and precision of communication while minimizing power dissipation is a fundamental engineering design goal. Also, biological systems achieve remarkable speed, precision and power efficiency using poorly understood physical design principles. Powerful theories like information theory and thermodynamics do not provide general limits on power, precision and speed. Here we go beyond these classical theories to prove that the product of precision and speed is universally bounded by power dissipation in any physical communication channel whose dynamics is faster than that of the signal. Moreover, our derivation involves a novel connection between friction and information geometry. These results may yield insight into both the engineering design of communication devices and the structure and function of biological signaling systems.