The Concept of Parsimony in Factor Analysis

The concept of parsimony in factor analysis is discussed. Arguments are advanced to show that this concept bears an analogic relationship to entropy in statistical mechanics and information in communication theory. A formal explication of the term parsimony is proposed which suggests approaches to the final resolution of the rotational problem. This paper provides the rationale underlying Carroll's ( 2 ) analytical solution for approximating simple structure, and the solutions of Saunders ( 7 ) and Neuhaus and Wrigley ( 5 ).