Computation is the nested, recursive enumeration of uniform symbolic bodies. The effectiveness of computation derives from its metaphorical application to material bodies, which can, through physical properties, be manipulated to deliver results which satisfy our expectations.
Computation is not consciousness or sensation. It has no qualities of its own, and a computer would be just as happy producing Mandelbrot sets as noise, just as abacus beads are just as happy in a pattern that we might find meaningful versus one which seems random. Thanks, Craig On Monday, January 20, 2014 3:17:16 PM UTC-5, Alberto G.Corona wrote: > > Computation is understood as whatever made by a digital computer or > something that can be emulated (or aproximated) by a digital computer. > So everything is a computation. That is a useless definition. because > it embrace everything. > > Everything is legoland because everything can be emulated using lego > pieces? No, my dear legologist. > > What about this definition? Computation is whatever that reduces > entropy. In information terms, in the human context, computation is > whatever that reduces uncertainty producing useful information and > thus, in the environment of human society, a computer program is used > ultimately to get that information and reduce entropy, that is to > increase order in society, or at least for the human that uses it. > > A simulation is an special case of the latter. > > So there are things that are computations: what the living beings do > at the chemical, physiological or nervous levels (and rational, social > and technological level in case of humans) . But there are things that > are not computations: almost everything else. > > > -- > Alberto. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
