[SHANNON] THE FOUNDING OF INFORMATION THEORY. SHANNON, CLAUDE E. 1916-2001. 'A Mathematical Theory of Communication.' Offprint from: Bell System Technical Journal, Vol. 27 (July and October). New York: American Telephone and Telegraph Company, 1948. 4to. Publisher's gray wrappers printed in black and blue, 5-hole punched at edge, minor wear at corners. FIRST EDITION, RARE OFFPRINT ISSUE, OF THE PAPER THAT MADE SHANNON FAMOUS FOR THE FOUNDING OF INFORMATION THEORY & WITH NOTES FOR HIS 1949 LECTURE. This separate offprint of the Bell System Technical Journal paper contains Shannon's 'grand unified theory for communication,' something he had been working toward since 1939. He presents an ingenious method to show systems engineers how to eliminate noise by encoding signals, forever changing the way information was shared and ushering in the field of information theory. 'A half century ago, Claude Shannon published his epic paper 'A Mathematical Theory of Communication.' This paper [has] had an immense impact on technological progress, and so on life as we now know it. One measure of the greatness of the [paper] is that Shannon's major precept that all communication is essentially digital is now commonplace among the modern digitalia, even to the point where many wonder why Shannon needed to state such an obvious axiom' (Blahut & Hajek). Shannon, on the first page of the paper, uses the term 'bit' as a portmantaeu of 'binary digit' for the first time in print. Annals of the History of Computing 6, 152-55; Hook & Norman Origins of Cyberspace 880; Mount & List Milestones 65. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing