A principle of great importance in a variety of scientific
constructs. In the physics of closed
systems, energy neither increases nor decreases as the system evolves (
see first law of thermodynamics ). No known case has contradicted this
law. Energy merely changes its form and usability with all quantities always summing to a fixed total. In
information theory the total amount of
information transmitted within a system is a similar constant. It can be decomposed in numerous ways leaving no quantity unaccounted for. Conserved quantities are also called
invariants and the conceptualization of quantities such that a conservation law remains true usually leads to powerful theories or accounting algebras. (
Krippendorff )
