Abstract

The conceptual system developed in optimal control theory for technical purposes is used as a philosophical instrument applied to cyclic information processes, which are expected to be the basis of noosphere. Noosphere was perceived by the founding fathers of this concept, Vladimir Vernadsky, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, e.a. as an outgrowth of the evolutionary process, which begins with cosmogenesis and proceeds through geosphere and biosphere. We attempt to apply the optimal control concepts to all three levels — geospheric, biospheric, and noospheric — due to their having a common structure of information processes. These processes include homeostasis, accumulation and expenditure of information, formation of hierarchical information structures, evolution involving the breaks of homeostasis etc. In noosphere, controlled system may have the same informational capabilities as controlling system, so that the term “dialog” is more adequate; in this case, we extend optimal control description to game theory. The cyclic, feedback logic of optimal control seems better adapted to noospheric processes than usual cause-eff ect logic. The fi rst part of the paper considers the geospheric and biospheric level. We introduce the basic notions characterizing optimal control cycle: duality of observation and control, hierarchy of models, active sounding, balance of information infl ow and outfl ow, optimized criterion, networked control, etc. Then, natural homeostases at the geospheric level are considered as a form of self-regulation having specifi c optimized criteria. The constitutive feature of this level is the absence of information processing in the strict sense: its place is taken by entropic processes. Therefore, no goal can exist at this level, and we consider it as a part of cosmogenesis, which is allegedly goalless/meaningless. We discuss the anthropic principle as a means to overcome this limitation and its possible impact on understanding of geosphere. Next, we consider the biospheric level as one with genetic information accumulation but without refl ection. Interaction between genetic and phenetic structures is described in optimal control terms. Phylogenesis is described as restructuring of genetic “models”, and the problem of origin of life is considered as a specifi c case of information paradox called “loan from the future”. We consider also the Gaia concept of biosphere regulating the geosphere and express it in optimal control language.