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Article #2171Re: What exactly is a "computational process"?
From: Tomm Carr
Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 20:14
Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 20:14
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2647 bytes
"P.M." wrote: > I doubt the term "computational process" should be restricted to a > machine, no matter how loosely you define a machine. Natural systems > can perform computations. Maybe a computational process is anything > that results in a _meaningful_ state transaction, even without input > and output? But then, what is considered meaningful? I would say > random state transitions are not meaningful. > > Alternatively, maybe a computational process is anything the results > in a decrease of entropy. I hope someone else can jump in here with a > much better answer than I have attempted. You did just fine. The term is thrown out without context and it is impossible to provide the "correct" definition of a word or expression without context. If someone asks for the definition of "cow" we can assume the most obvious context and give the barnyard animal definition. But the context of "computational process" is not so obvious. It would have different meanings in computer science, biology, or just general philosophy. So if the person asking the question really wants a meaningful answer, he has to narrow the scope somewhat. Tomm -- A dyslexic philosopher is one who spends his time contemplating the existence of "dog".
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X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 110d3e,618721bdbb77e65f X-Google-Attributes: gid110d3e,public X-Google-Thread: f8362,2e65a7a5bce12512 X-Google-Attributes: gidf8362,public X-Google-Thread: 10b271,618721bdbb77e65f X-Google-Attributes: gid10b271,public X-Google-Thread: f803e,618721bdbb77e65f X-Google-Attributes: gidf803e,public X-Google-ArrivalTime: 2001-08-09 13:22:19 PST Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!archiver1.google.com!newsfeed.google.com!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news-out.visi.com!hermes.visi.com!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!denver-snf1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!namche.sun.com!ebaynews1.ebay.Sun.COM!not-for-mail From: Tomm Carr <Tomm.Carr@Sun.com> Newsgroups: comp.theory,talk.philosophy.misc,sci.physics,bionet.info-theory Subject: Re: What exactly is a "computational process"? Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 13:14:47 -0700 Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Network Storage Lines: 27 Message-ID: <3B72EF37.94C07820@Sun.com> References: <8cd70836.0108080113.561d74a@posting.google.com> <Se9c7.2275$e%3.199139@news2-win.server.ntlworld.com> <6db3f637.0108090326.95b2e64@posting.google.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: sr1-unwk16-02.ebay.sun.com Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.76 [en] (X11; U; SunOS 5.8 sun4u) X-Accept-Language: en