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What is computation?

Explore the nature of computation and its boundaries through discussions on primary/secondary qualities, intrinsic/extrinsic goals, and the delimitation between computational and non-computational processes.

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What is computation?

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  1. What is computation? • A summary of the Lorentz Workshop discussions between: Rainhard Bengez, Mark Bishop; Barry Cooper; Gilles Dowek; Jan van Leeuwen; Jim Moor; Steve Ross; Ray Turner & Jiri Wiedermmann.

  2. Computation:three difficult questions • Q) Is computation a primary or secondary quality of physical systems? • E.g. Is it more like mass (a primary quality); • Or more like colour (a secondary quality) of physical systems. • Q) Are the goals of a computation intrinsic or extrinsic to the machine? • i.e. Is teleology fully defined by the acts of the machine alone or only fully defined by the acts of the machine in a specific context? • Q) What is computation/non-computation? • i.e. can we reliably delimit the computational from the non-computational?

  3. On computation • Computation is contingent on the level of abstraction. • Artefacts only? • Also physical processes. • What happens when we do it? • Not only information processing • but also manipulating and reacting to signals. • Only discrete processes? • Also real/analogue etc. • Not necessarily a finite outcome • Finitely many steps or infinitely many (as a model for understanding)? • Restriction to functions? NO. • Always input/output/response including internal change?

  4. Computational systems • ... are controlling, interacting, create actions; • ... process streams (input stream -> output stream, potentially infinite) coupled with environment (interactively, modifying ... how); • ... operating on discrete or continuous signals according to a set of rules; initially fixed but possibly changing over time (learning, evolving, modifying by external agent). • To determine if the following examples are computational or non-computational: • laptop; • digital counter; • single neuron firing; brain; • amorphous computing.

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