Thomas M. Landauer

Thomas M. Landauer was a physicist and information theorist best known for his work on the physical limits of computing. He proposed that every computational operation, such as erasing a bit of information, has a fundamental energy cost, meaning that information processing is bound by physical laws. His most famous contribution, "Landauer's Principle," states that erasing data increases entropy and requires a minimum amount of energy, linking information theory with thermodynamics. This insight helps us understand the energy efficiency limits of computers and the fundamental physical nature of information.