From: scerir (scerir@libero.it)
Date: Mon Dec 18 2000 - 14:22:44 MST
Steve Nichols wrote:
..... whereas evolvable circuitry machines (silicon or biological)
can be or approach *infinite*-state.
Samantha Atkins wrote:
That depends on what you mean by "state". A general purpose
computer has a finite number of possible states if looked at the
bit or physical component level.
But because it is reprogrammable (and even self-programmable)
its "states" in terms of possible contents (semantics) are *infinite*.
Much like all the possible essays are *infinite* even when
expressed with a finite vocabulary.
Also, as the human brain is smart enough to build extensions
to its hardware and native capabilities, it is even more arguably
*not finite*-state.
"Infinite" or "unbounded"?
A Turing machine has an unbounded tape.
Internet is a complex (living?) system.
It's hard to put a bound on the number of states
Internet might have. But they are not infinite.
-scerir
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