I do not understand what kind of understanding of noncomputable numbers you
think a human has, that AIXI could not have.  Could you give a specific
example of this kind of understanding?  What is some fact about
noncomputable numbers that a human can understand but AIXI cannot?  And how
are you defining "understand" in this context?

I think uncomputable numbers can be indirectly useful in modeling the world
even if the world is fundamentally computable.  This is proved by
differential and integral calculus, which are based on the continuum (most
of the numbers on which are uncomputable), and which are extremely handy for
analyzing real, finite-precision data ... more so, it seems, than
"computable analysis" variants.

But, I think AIXI or other AI systems can understand how to apply
differential calculus in the same sense that humans can...

And, neither AIXI nor a human can display a specific example of an
uncomputable number.  But, both can understand the diagonalization
constructs that lead us to believe uncomputable numbers "exist" in some
sense of the word "exist"

-- Ben G

On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 9:33 PM, Abram Demski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> Ben,
>
> How so? Also, do you think it is nonsensical to put some probability
> on noncomputable models of the world?
>
> --Abram
>
> On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 6:33 PM, Ben Goertzel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > But: it seems to me that, in the same sense that AIXI is incapable of
> > "understanding" proofs about uncomputable numbers, **so are we humans**
> ...
> >
> > On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 6:30 PM, Abram Demski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> Matt,
> >>
> >> Yes, that is completely true. I should have worded myself more clearly.
> >>
> >> Ben,
> >>
> >> Matt has sorted out the mistake you are referring to. What I meant was
> >> that AIXI is incapable of understanding the proof, not that it is
> >> incapable of producing it. Another way of describing it: AIXI could
> >> learn to accurately mimic the way humans talk about uncomputable
> >> entities, but it would never invent these things on its own.
> >>
> >> --Abram
> >>
> >> On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 4:32 PM, Matt Mahoney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >> wrote:
> >> > --- On Sat, 10/18/08, Abram Demski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> No, I do not claim that computer theorem-provers cannot
> >> >> prove Goedel's Theorem. It has been done. The objection applies
> >> >> specifically to AIXI-- AIXI cannot prove goedel's theorem.
> >> >
> >> > Yes it can. It just can't understand its own proof in the sense of
> >> > Tarski's undefinability theorem.
> >> >
> >> > Construct a "predictive" AIXI environment as follows: the environment
> >> > output symbol does not depend on anything the agent does. However, the
> agent
> >> > receives a reward when its output symbol matches the next symbol input
> from
> >> > the environment. Thus, the environment can be modeled as a string that
> the
> >> > agent has the goal of compressing.
> >> >
> >> > Now encode in the environment a series of theorems followed by their
> >> > proofs. Since proofs can be mechanically checked, and therefore found
> given
> >> > enough time (if the proof exists), then the optimal strategy for the
> agent,
> >> > according to AIXI is to guess that the environment receives as input a
> >> > series of theorems and that the environment then proves them and
> outputs the
> >> > proof. AIXI then replicates its guess, thus correctly predicting the
> proofs
> >> > and maximizing its reward. To prove Goedel's theorem, we simply encode
> it
> >> > into the environment after a series of other theorems and their
> proofs.
> >> >
> >> > -- Matt Mahoney, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > -------------------------------------------
> >> > agi
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> >> -------------------------------------------
> >> agi
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> >
> >
> > --
> > Ben Goertzel, PhD
> > CEO, Novamente LLC and Biomind LLC
> > Director of Research, SIAI
> > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> > "Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must be first
> > overcome "  - Dr Samuel Johnson
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > agi | Archives | Modify Your Subscription
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-- 
Ben Goertzel, PhD
CEO, Novamente LLC and Biomind LLC
Director of Research, SIAI
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must be first
overcome "  - Dr Samuel Johnson



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