[FRIAM] The quintessence of complexity thinking

[Ken Lloyd]

Marcus,

And sometimes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  This
accounts for emergent features from synergistic network coupling.
Specifically, if an ANN can recognize a coupling pattern in a network that
gives rise to synergistic behavior which is congruent with similar coupling
patterns in other networks - it has abstracted a new patterned, second-order
rule (meta-rule).

I am not so bold as to state this pattern recognition is the same as
"understanding meaning" - only that certain congruent patterns correlate
with certain output categories (the determination of which is beyond this
post).

Ken
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: friam-bounces at redfish.com 
> [mailto:friam-bounces at redfish.com] On Behalf Of Marcus G. Daniels
> Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 11:35 PM
> To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group
> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The quintessence of complexity thinking
> 
> Ken Lloyd wrote:
> > Would it be more interesting to ask - What if in second order ABM's 
> > the agents could differentiate meta-rules (as patterns) from rules? 
> > Could they then apply them using evolutionary meta-genetics 
> as a means 
> > serving as abstraction?  Would this work in n^m-order ABM's?
> >   
> An agent notes the prevailing behaviors and/or wisdom in its 
> vicinity, and then `abstracts' that?
> What makes it an abstraction and not just an imperfect copy?  
> Sometimes
> (often?) the whole is less than the sum of its parts...  
> Simulations along these lines could address questions like 
> the impact on a population from meta rules and communication 
> vs. agents living in ignorant bliss.
> 
> 
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