>> I meant, code in some constrained language (for example, >> constrained by being very concise) that solves so many different >> problems that such constrained code wouldn't exist unless it was >> fundamentally exploiting structure underlying the problem-- code >> exemplifying my generalized Occam's Razor hypothesis.
Michael> Would you include typical VM bytecode Michael> (e.g. JVM/.NET/Parrot/Emacs Lisp/etc) in that class, or does Michael> it need to be more specialised? How about a Michael> Huffman-compressed version of the code causality graph, from Michael> the basic operators (and library functions if applicable) up? Obviously, if you take some code, and simply compress it, it won't understand any better. And if you expand it, but it does precisely the same thing, for example by inserting comment statements, or junk dna, it won't understand any worse. Also, running any *fast* generic compressor, such as winzip won't generally extract the structure needed. I am arguing that if you find a code that solves a range of naturally presented problems, that is so constrained (for example by being extremely concise) that the only way it could have existed is if it is based on an ingenious abstraction hierarchy with modules exploiting real structure in the world and reused in different contexts to solve different problems, then it will continue to solve most new problems, its modules may be said to have meaning (this is what meaning is, they basically define meaning), it can be said to understand the world in the sense that it will solve in a robust way new problems and variations, and this basically is what the empirical phenomenon colloquially called understanding is. Michael> Michael Wilson, Director of Research and Development, Michael> Bitphase AI Ltd Web demos page: http://www.bitphase.com/apex Michael> ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: Michael> http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your Michael> options, please go to: Michael> http://v2.listbox.com/member/?list_id=303 ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?list_id=303
