Philosophy Stack Exchange
Philosophy Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [computation]

Computational theory is the study of calculations. Important questions are: what can be computed? How quickly can it be computed? What requirements or abilities must a computer have?

133 questions
20
votes
10 answers

Is the universe isomorphic to a universal turing machine?

I often think about problems that require an understanding of the very essence of computation and its inherent limitations. So, my questions are as followed: Is the universe isomorphic to a universal turing machine? Is the universe isomorphic to a…
Quaternary
  • 317
  • 2
  • 6
18
votes
13 answers

Does a rock falling down a hill perform computation?

Imagine a rock in the shape of a chessboard with pieces in a certain configuration. Throw the rock down a particular hill. The hill is shaped in such a way that, given the correct throw, the chessboard-rock will be chipped and flinted in a…
MeltyButter
  • 197
  • 1
  • 3
18
votes
7 answers

How can the physical world be an abstract mathematical structure a la Tegmark?

This is Tegmark's short formulation of the "mathematical universe" (paraphrased by detractors as "reality made of math"), and he goes out of his way to stress that he means the "is" literally:"Whereas the customary terminology in physics textbooks…
Conifold
  • 42,225
  • 4
  • 92
  • 180
18
votes
3 answers

What are the philosophical consequences of the undecidability of the spectral gap in quantum theory?

An article published in Nature yesterday proves that finding the spectral gap of a material based on a complete quantum level description of the material is undecidable (in the Turing sense). One of the authors is quoted "From a more philosophical…
Alexander S King
  • 26,984
  • 5
  • 64
  • 187
18
votes
1 answer

What are some good books about computational ethics?

Gert-Jan C. Lokhorst has written a paper on "computational metaethics" (Computational Meta-Ethics: Towards the Meta-Ethical Robot), which explores the ability of formal systems (i.e. computers/robots) to reason about ethics. I'm wondering if there…
Xodarap
  • 2,770
  • 14
  • 24
16
votes
14 answers

Testing Free Will

Could we ever come up with an experiment that is able to explain once and for all if free will exists or not? Another way to put it: given a universe and agents acting within it, is it possible for such agents to determine whether or not they…
Yamar69
  • 534
  • 3
  • 10
15
votes
4 answers

How does Penrose defeat the computational theory of mind?

In Shadows Of The Mind Roger Penrose puts forth a Gödelian argument against the computational theory of mind. He then goes on to suggest that quantum mechanics plays a central role in the realization of human consciousness. It is suggested that the…
Not_Here
  • 2,831
  • 1
  • 19
  • 40
13
votes
3 answers

What is the best scientific argumentation against the Dust Theory?

The "Dust Theory", by Greg Egan, states that... ... there is no difference, even in principle, between physics and mathematics, and that all mathematically possible structures exist, among them our physics and therefore our spacetime. These…
Hugo Sereno Ferreira
  • 260
  • 2
  • 9
11
votes
5 answers

What are computable numbers, and what is their philosophical significance?

What are Computable Numbers? Is computability (or non-computability) some sort of technology-dependent characteristic of numbers (via e.g. Turing Machines)? What are the philosophical implications or significance of computable (and non-computable)…
L.M. Student
  • 2,673
  • 11
  • 45
11
votes
4 answers

Do machine learning algorithms have knowledge (if not justified true beliefs)?

By "machine learning algorithm" I'm referring to basic, primarily statistical, machine learning algorithms; for concrete examples consider simple classifier algorithms like SVM or Bayesian classifier or decision trees. I'm stipulating that these…
Dave
  • 5,261
  • 1
  • 18
  • 51
10
votes
6 answers

Computational counter-argument for solipsism

First let me elaborate the argument. Take a calculator (wolframalpha, google or other software tools may serve as well). Perform some very complex operation. Write down the operation and the result separately. Go do something fun for about 10…
Trylks
  • 664
  • 5
  • 13
10
votes
7 answers

Can computers be programmed to be 'creative'?

When a artist strokes their brush on a canvas and paints a beautiful work of art they may be referred as creative person. Or perhaps a musician or a writer. Does this creativeness come from the soul or from somewhere only a human could possess? …
Justin Tyme
  • 479
  • 3
  • 10
10
votes
3 answers

Why can't an algorithm understand incompleteness?

I've heard a lot of people say that Gödel's proof shows that human intelligence somehow goes beyond what a computer could ever do. It's only ever been articulated to me very badly, though not for want of trying. I agree with the conclusion for other…
Lucas
  • 1,791
  • 1
  • 11
  • 26
9
votes
3 answers

In what way is the lambda calculus stronger than first-order logic?

This wikipedia article on combinatory logic says that Combinatory Logic, Lambda Logic and Turing Machines are equivalent computationally, but that both of these exceed the expressive power of first-order logic. In what way do they exceed the…
Mozibur Ullah
  • 1
  • 14
  • 88
  • 234
9
votes
1 answer

Logic and Computation: a philosophical viewpoint on Curry-Howard isomorphism

The link between logic and computation is stronger than ever, especially since the establishment of the Curry-Howard isomorphism specifying that proofs can be seen as programs and formulas as program's types. I wondered if we could find any texts…
Boris
  • 878
  • 6
  • 14
1
2 3
…
8 9