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A Computable Universe

Understanding and Exploring Nature as Computation

By: Hector Zenil (Editor)

Hardcover

Published: 31st May 2012
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This volume, with a foreword by Sir Roger Penrose, discusses the foundations of computation in relation to nature.It focuses on two main questions: What is computation? How does nature compute? The contributors are world-renowned experts who have helped shape a cutting-edge computational understanding of the universe. They discuss computation in the world from a variety of perspectives, ranging from foundational concepts to pragmatic models to ontological conceptions and philosophical implications.The volume provides a state-of-the-art collection of technical papers and non-technical essays, representing a field that assumes information and computation to be key in understanding and explaining the basic structure underpinning physical reality. It also includes a new edition of Konrad Zuse's "Calculating Space" (the MIT translation), and a panel discussion transcription on the topic, featuring worldwide experts in quantum mechanics, physics, cognition, computation and algorithmic complexity.The volume is dedicated to the memory of Alan M Turing - the inventor of universal computation, on the 100th anniversary of his birth, and is part of the Turing Centenary celebrations.

Forewordp. xiii
Prefacep. xxxvii
Acknowledgementsp. xliii
Introducing the Computable Universep. 1
Historical, Philosophical & Foundational Aspects of Computationp. 21
Origins of Digital Computing: Alan Turing, Charles Babbage, & Ada Lovelacep. 23
Generating, Solving and the Mathematics of Homo Sapiens. E. Post's Views on Computationp. 45
Machinesp. 63
Effectivenessp. 77
Axioms for Computability: Do They Allow a Proof of Church's Thesis?p. 99
The Mathematician's Bias ù and the Return to Embodied Computationp. 125
Intuitionistic Mathematics and Realizability in the Physical Worldp. 143
What is Computation? Actor Model versus Turing's Modelp. 159
Computation in Nature & the Real Worldp. 187
Reaction Systems: A Natural Computing Approach to the Functioning of Living Cellsp. 189
Bacteria, Turing Machines and Hyperbolic Cellular Automatap. 209
Computation and Communication in Unorganized Systemsp. 231
The Many Forms of Amorphous Computational Systemsp. 243
Computing on Ringsp. 257
Life as Evolving Softwarep. 277
Computability and Algorithmic Complexity in Economicsp. 303
Blueprint for a Hypercomputerp. 333
Computation & Physics & the Physics of Computationp. 345
Information-Theoretic Teleodynamics in Natural and Artificial Systemsp. 347
Discrete Theoretical Processes (DTP)p. 365
The Fastest Way of Computing All Universesp. 381
The Subjective Computable Universep. 399
What Is Ultimately Possible in Physics?p. 417
Universality, Turing Incompleteness and Observersp. 435
Algorithmic Causal Sets for a Computational Spacetimep. 451
The Computable Universe Hypothesisp. 479
The Universe is Lawless or "Pantôn chrêmatôn metron anthrôpon einai"p. 525
Is Feasibility in Physics Limited by Fantasy Alone?p. 539
The Quantum, Computation & Informationp. 549
What is Computation? (How) Does Nature Compute?p. 551
The Universe as Quantum Computerp. 567
Quantum Speedup and Temporal Inequalities for Sequential Actionsp. 583
The Contextual Computerp. 595
A Gödel-Turing Perspective on Quantum States Indistinguishable from Insidep. 605
When Humans Do Compute Quantump. 617
Open Discussion Sectionp. 629
Open Discussion on A Computable Universep. 631
Live Panel Discussion (transcription)p. 671
What is Computation? (How) Does Nature Compute?p. 673
Zusc's Calculating Spacep. 727
Calculating Space (Rechnender Raum)p. 729
Afterword to Konrad Zuse's Calculating Spacep. 787
Indexp. 795
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

ISBN: 9789814374293
ISBN-10: 9814374296
Audience: Tertiary; University or College
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
Number Of Pages: 450
Published: 31st May 2012
Dimensions (cm): 22.9 x 15.7  x 4.3
Weight (kg): 1.338