Re: von Neumann machines
When we talk about Von Neumann, is he the same Von Neumann that developed the theory of games? By the way, in some of his novels Gregory Benford was somehow talking about the same theory? Yes, and yes. John von Neumann was a great mathematician. Moreover, his temperament was sociable and he was famous for getting along with people. Besides inventing game theory, the merge sort algorithm for computers and the like, he made a mathematical formulation for quantum mechanics. A story has it that he would go on long train rides, such as across the United States and back, in order to get uninterrupted time to work. -- Robert J. Chassell [EMAIL PROTECTED] GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8 http://www.rattlesnake.com http://www.teak.cc ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Re: von Neumann machines
When we talk about Von Neumann, is he the same Von Neumann that developed the theory of games? By the way, in some of his novels Gregory Benford was somehow talking about the same theory? - ¿Es posible hacerse millonario sin salir de casa? Ahora sí: http://sorteos.ya.com ADSL + Llamadas 24 horas: desde 28,95 /mes + IVA. Navega y habla de forma ilimitada. Sin compromiso de permanencia. http://acceso.ya.com/ADSLllamadas/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: von Neumann machines
Yes, and yes. John von Neumann was a great mathematician. Moreover, his temperament was sociable and he was famous for getting along with people. Besides inventing game theory, the merge sort algorithm for computers and the like, he made a mathematical formulation for quantum mechanics. Is there a source on the net with regards to his game theory? Or a published source? Damon. Damon Agretto [EMAIL PROTECTED] Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum. http://www.geocities.com/garrand.geo/index.html Now Building: Ertl's TIE Fighter -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.11.9 - Release Date: 5/12/2005 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: von Neumann machines
On May 13, 2005, at 10:02 AM, Damon Agretto wrote: Yes, and yes. John von Neumann was a great mathematician. Moreover, his temperament was sociable and he was famous for getting along with people. Besides inventing game theory, the merge sort algorithm for computers and the like, he made a mathematical formulation for quantum mechanics. Is there a source on the net with regards to his game theory? Or a published source? Well, there's this: http://www.gametheory.net/Dictionary/People/JohnvonNeumann.html The entire site is devoted to game theory and looks fairly surfable. As for published sources, a search of Amazon for John von Neumann yields more than a few results as well. -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress The Seven-Year Mirror http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: von Neumann machines
Is there a source on the net with regards to [John von Neumann's] game theory? Or a published source? John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern co-authored a book in 1944 called `Theory of Games and Economic Behaviour'. (Perhaps it would have been better had they called it `a theory of conflict and cooperation'.) In the Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_Games_and_Economic_Behavior (This is a short entry.) Also, take a look at the longer entry on John von Neumann himself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann Another phrase often used is `evolutionarily stable strategy': http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionarily_stable_strategy (This is good entry; also, it talks about Nash Equilibria and the Prisoner's Dilemma.) I don't know what you might find using Google or one of the other search engines. I talk about game theory and an evolutionarily stable strategy for software licenses in http://www.teak.cc/softfree/software-freedom.html (which is also available in that directory in Info and in formats for printing, DVI, Postscript, and PDF, as well as in its Texinfo deep representation.) -- Robert J. Chassell [EMAIL PROTECTED] GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8 http://www.rattlesnake.com http://www.teak.cc ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: von Neumann machines
At 09:51 AM Thursday 5/12/2005, Robert J. Chassell wrote: Just now, according to the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/sci/tech/4538547.stm some Cornell University people have built a robot that can reproduce itself. When the reporters asked the scientists to provide a demonstration of this capability for them, one of the scientists pressed a button on the robot's remote control unit. The robot responded by emitting a series of beeps and chirps, which the scientist explained was the language the robot communicates in. When asked what the robot had said, the scientist translated Not tonight, dear, I have a headache. -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: von Neumann machines
On 5/12/05, Robert J. Chassell [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: [Over the past two days, there have been two big developments, one concerning pensions, the other concerning manufacturing.] More than two generations ago, von Neumann provided the mathematical underpinnings to a self-replicating device. He referred to it as a Universal Constructor, but many call it a `von Neumann Machine'. snip But without humans around, you may end up with a mechanical ecology like that described in James P. Hogan's 1983 science fiction novel, `Code of the Lifemaker'(1). (Del Rey (1984), ISBN 0345305493, Baen Books (2002), ISBN 0743435265 see `http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_of_the_Lifemaker') Poul Anderson had a story in which a millennially lost space expedition returns to an earth with a mechanical ecosystem. There had been a war and sea-going robotic ship survivors mutated afterwards and gradually an ecosystem evolved. -- Gary Denton Easter Lemming Blogs http://elemming.blogspot.com http://elemming2.blogspot.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: von Neumann machines
On May 12, 2005, at 7:51 AM, Robert J. Chassell wrote: Just now, according to the BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/sci/tech/4538547.stm some Cornell University people have built a robot that can reproduce itself. It uses modules that themselves must be manufactured in some other way. It's not self-reproducing. It needs already existing parts that it can piece together to make copies of itself. This is like building a Lego artifact that can build other Lego artifacts. Superficially it looks interesting but without a very complex set of parameters being met perfectly, this robot can't do a thing. Now show me a robot that can start with raw materials -- metal, sand, etc. -- and make a copy of itself, and I'll concede h. sapiens has reason to be worried. In other news, Mac Culkin has taken the stand, saying Jackson never tried to have sex with him when he (Culkin) was a kid. Culkin then broke down and wept. Why, Mike? he sobbed. Wasn't I good enough for you? Oh sure, you and Emmanuel [Lewis] were bouncing off the walls, 'Beating It' until dawn, but could I get even a single lousy grope? No, I was just another goofy-looking white kid left 'Home Alone' all night... Culkin was led away, leaning heavily on one of Jackson's bodyguards and, on leaving the courtroom, was heard to say, I've always been dependent upon the kindness of... The rest of the comment was cut off as the doors closed. [Sorry. I find the whole public farce -- I mean trial -- of Jackson sickening. But this was too good an opportunity to pass.] -- Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books http://books.nightwares.com/ Current work in progress The Seven-Year Mirror http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: von Neumann machines
Gary Denton wrote, Poul Anderson had a story in which a millennially lost space expedition returns to an earth with a mechanical ecosystem. There had been a war and sea-going robotic ship survivors mutated afterwards and gradually an ecosystem evolved. That sounds interesting. Do you know its name, whether it was a short story or novel, where I could find it? -- Robert J. Chassell [EMAIL PROTECTED] GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8 http://www.rattlesnake.com http://www.teak.cc ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
