FOM: Philosophy and computer science

[Gerry Wolff]

For the last few years, I have been attempting to integrate ideas in AI,
other areas of computing, and cognitive science. The outcome of this
research is a theory called "information compression by multiple alignment,
unification and search" -- which yields the rather ugly acronym 'ICMAUS'.
For reasons described elsewhere, the alternative name 'SP' has also been
adopted.

I have published one paper arguing that the 'Turing' model of computing can
be interpreted in terms of the ICMAUS theory and I have drafted another
paper arguing that many things in logic and mathematics can be understood in
the same terms. What I have to say about the foundations of maths and logic
seems to be significantly different from the main 'isms' in those areas.

Three people who know something about the foundations of logic and
mathematics have read this second paper and been kind enough to say that it
is interesting and worth publishing. However, the few journals that I have
submitted the article to have not been so positive. Those with a
philosophical orientation suggest that the paper is something for computer
science and those with a computer science orientation say that the paper
belongs in philosophy!

Given this 'cultural divide', I am looking for further help. I would be
grateful if people with relevant knowledge would read the paper and suggest
how I might best avoid falling between the twin stools of philosophy and
computer science. Any other comments will be very welcome. If you are
willing to look at the article, please contact me at
gerry at informatics.bangor.ac.uk. I will, of course, acknowledge all help
received.

There is a copy of the abstract of the article below. Further information
about the research, including copies of journal articles, conference papers
and technical reports, may be found at
www.sees.bangor.ac.uk/~gerry/sp_summary.html.

Gerry Wolff

Dr J G Wolff, School of Informatics, University of Wales, Dean Street,
Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 1UT, UK. Tel: +44 1248 383660. Fax: +44 1248 361429.
Email: gerry at informatics.bangor.ac.uk. Web:
www.informatics.bangor.ac.uk/~gerry/.

-----------

Abstract of article:

This article introduces the conjecture that "mathematics, logic and related
disciplines may usefully be understood as information compression by
'multiple alignment', 'unification' and 'search'".

As a preparation for the two main sections of the article, concepts of
Hartley-Shannon information theory and Algorithmic Information Theory are
briefly reviewed together with a summary of the essentials of the simpler
'standard' methods for information compression. Related areas of research
are briefly described: philosophical connections, information compression
(IC) in brains and nervous systems, and IC in relation to inductive
inference, Minimum Length Encoding and probabilistic reasoning. Then the
concepts of information compression by 'multiple alignment', 'unification'
and 'search' (ICMAUS) are outlined together with a brief description of the
SP61 computer model that is a partial realisation of the ICMAUS framework.

The first of the two main sections describes how many of the commonly-used
forms and structures in mathematics, logic and related disciplines (such as
theoretical linguistics and computer programming) may be seen as devices for
IC. In some cases, these forms and structures may be interpreted in terms of
the ICMAUS framework.

The second main section describes a selection of examples where processes of
calculation and inference in mathematics, logic and related disciplines may
be understood as IC. In many cases, these examples may be understood more
specifically in terms of the ICMAUS concepts and illustrated with output
from the SP61 model.

Associated issues are briefly discussed.