Thermodynamic interpretation of semiosis

The paper aims at finding an effective language for human-computer interaction in the context of the introduction of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence within the framework of modern semiotics. A variant of the sign problem statement and an attempt to apply an analogy with thermodynamic complex systems for its solution are presented. Based on the ontological model of the semiotic spiral of cognition and activity, a vector representation of the semiosis cycle in the orthogonal space of coordinates of the semantic, syntactic and pragmatic dimensions is proposed. Movement along the spiral of cognition and activity forms epistemological oppositions of understanding and expression, which are codified in knowledge of a receptive and projective nature. Understanding describes the transition from a sign to its meaning, that is, the solution of the decoding problem, and expression describes the transition from the meaning to the sign denoting it, that is, the solution of the coding problem. Based on this representation, the problem of effective semiosis is formulated as a process of alternating the stages of understanding and expression, clarifying the system of using signs. To solve this problem, an analogy with a thermodynamic system can be used, in which the stages of transformation and exchange of energy described by macroscopic quantities also alternate. To perform optimization, a coordinate descent method is proposed. It is possible to move from an object to a sign by selecting the best semantic match, simplifying the sign in the syntactic sense and selecting a pragmatic rule. Conversely, it is proposed to select a certain reference sign and simplify the pragmatic rule, syntactic representation or semantic match. The ideal cycle of semiosis provides for a return to the same object that was used when selecting the sign in the absence of loss of meaning. In a real cycle, an iterative spiral coordinate descent is performed, during which an iterative refinement of the sign-object pair is performed. The implementation of the proposed approach in practice allows increasing the efficiency of user interfaces of hardware and software complexes of Virtual Reality with high immersion, as well as developing recommendations for the implementation of prompt engineering in Artificial Intelligence systems.