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| public:t_720_atai:atai-21:knowledge_representation [2021/09/29 15:09] – [Where the Symbols 'Are'] thorisson | public:t_720_atai:atai-21:knowledge_representation [2024/04/29 13:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1 |
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| ==== Symbols ==== | ==== Symbols ==== |
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| | \\ What are Symbols? | Peirce's Theory of Semiotics (signs) proposes 3 parts to a sign: \\ **a //sign/symbol//, an //object//, and an //interpretant//**. \\ Example of symbol: an arbitrary pattern, e.g. a written word (with acceptable error ranges whose threshold determine when it is either 'uninterpretable' or 'inseparable from other symbols'. \\ Example of object: an automobile (clustering of atoms in certain ways). \\ Example of interpretant: Your mind as it experiences something in your mind's eye when you read the word "automobile". The last part is the most complex thing, because obviously what //you// see and what //I// see when we read the word "automobile" will never be exactly the same. | | | \\ What are Symbols? | Peirce's Theory of Semiotics (signs) proposes 3 parts to a sign: \\ **a //sign/symbol//, an //object//, and an //interpretant//**. \\ Example of symbol: an arbitrary pattern, e.g. a written word (with acceptable error ranges whose threshold determine when it is either 'uninterpretable' or 'inseparable from other symbols'). \\ Example of object: an automobile (clustering of atoms in certain ways). \\ Example of interpretant: Your mind as it experiences something in your mind's eye when you read the word "automobile". The last part is the most complex thing, because obviously what //you// see and what //I// see when we read the word "automobile" will never be exactly the same. | |
| | Do Symbols Carry Meaning Directly? | No. Symbols are initially meaningless arbitrary patterns, and without an interpretant they are also meaningless. \\ What gives them the ability to //carry// meaning (see below) is a mutual //contract// between two communicators (or, more strictly, and encoding-decoding process pair). | | | Do Symbols Carry Meaning Directly? | No. Symbols are initially meaningless arbitrary patterns, and without an interpretant they are also meaningless. \\ What gives them the ability to //carry// meaning (see below) is a mutual //contract// between two communicators (or, more strictly, and encoding-decoding process pair). | |
| | \\ "Symbol" | Peirce used various terms for this, including "sign", "representamen", "representation", and "ground". Others have suggested "sign-vehicle". What is meant in all cases is that a pattern that can be used to stand for something else, and thus requires an interpretation to be used as such. | | | \\ "Symbol" | Peirce used various terms for this, including "sign", "representamen", "representation", and "ground". Others have suggested "sign-vehicle". What is meant in all cases is that a pattern that can be used to stand for something else, and thus requires an interpretation to be used as such. | |
| | \\ Peirce's Innovation | Detaching the symbol/sign from the object it signified, and introducing the interpretation process as a key entity. This makes it possible to explain why people misunderstand each other, and how symbols and meaning can grow and change in a culture. | | | Peirce's Innovation | Detaching the symbol/sign from the object it signified, and introducing the interpretation process as a key entity. This makes it possible to explain why people misunderstand each other, and how symbols and meaning can grow and change in a culture. | |
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| | Symbolic Role | Being a "symbol" means serving a **function**. In this case the token stands as a "pointer" to **information structures**. | | | Symbolic Role | Being a "symbol" means serving a **function**. In this case the token stands as a "pointer" to **information structures**. | |
| | Tokens as Symbols | The association of a token with a set of information structures is //arbitrary// - if we agree to call "chairs" something else, e.g. "blibbeldyblabb", well, then that's what we call "chairs" from now on. "Go ahead, take a seat on the bibbeldyblabb over there". | | | Tokens as Symbols | The association of a token with a set of information structures is //arbitrary// - if we agree to call "chairs" something else, e.g. "blibbeldyblabb", well, then that's what we call "chairs" from now on. "Go ahead, take a seat on the bibbeldyblabb over there". | |
| | \\ Temporary vs. Permanent \\ Symbols | As you can see in the blibbeldyblabb example, we can associate arbitrary patterns with "thoughts" temporarily, just for fun. In this case we took something familiar (chair) and associated a new pattern ("blibbeldyblabb") with it, replacing an old one ("chair"). Because it was familiar, this was very easy to do. \\ When we see something completely unfamilar and someone says "oh, that's just a blibbleldyblabb" it usually takes longer to know the scope and usage of that new "concept" that we are learning - even thought using the name is easy, it may take a while to learn how to use it properly. \\ A culture can use a coherent set of symbols (with compositional rules we call 'grammar') because they get established through mutual coordination. | | | \\ Temporary vs. Permanent \\ Symbols | As you can see in the blibbeldyblabb example, we can associate arbitrary patterns with "thoughts" temporarily, just for fun. In this case we took something familiar (chair) and associated a new pattern ("blibbeldyblabb") with it, replacing an old one ("chair"). Because it was familiar, this was very easy to do. \\ When we see something completely unfamilar and someone says "oh, that's just a blibbleldyblabb" it usually takes longer to know the scope and usage of that new "concept" that we are learning - even thought using the name is easy, it may take a while to learn how to use it properly. \\ A culture can use a coherent set of symbols (with compositional rules we call 'grammar') because they get established through mutual coordination over long periods of time. This is also why languages change: Because people change and they change their usage of language also. | |
| | \\ Context | Using the token, these information structures can be collected and used. But their ultimate meaning depends on the **context** of the token's use. \\ When you use a token, **which information structures** are rounded up, and how they are used, depends on more than the token... | | | \\ Context | Using the token, these information structures can be collected and used. But their ultimate meaning depends on the **context** of the token's use. \\ When you use a token, **which information structures** are rounded up, and how they are used, depends on more than the token... | |
| | \\ What Are These \\ Information Structures? | They have to do with all sorts of **experience** of the world. \\ In the case of chairs this would be experience collected, compressed, abstracted and generalized from indoor environments in relation to the physical object we refer to as 'chair' (//a lot// of information could be relevant at any point in time - color, shape, size, usage, manufacturing, destruction, material properties, compositions into parts, ... the list is very long! - which ones are relevant //right now// depends on the //context//, and context is determined primarily by the current state and which //goals// are currently active at this moment). | | | \\ What Are These \\ Information Structures? | They have to do with all sorts of **experience** of the world. \\ In the case of chairs this would be experience collected, compressed, abstracted and generalized from indoor environments in relation to the physical object we refer to as 'chair' (//a lot// of information could be relevant at any point in time - color, shape, size, usage, manufacturing, destruction, material properties, compositions into parts, ... the list is very long! - which ones are relevant //right now// depends on the //context//, and context is determined primarily by the current state and which //goals// are currently active at this moment). | |
| | \\ \\ Knowledge | Knowledge is "actionable information" - information structures that can be used to //do stuff//, including \\ (a) predict (deduce), \\ (b) derive potential causes (abduce - like Sherlock Holmes does), \\ ( c) explain, and \\ (d) re-create (like Einstein did with <m>E=mc^2</m>). | | | \\ \\ Knowledge | Knowledge is "actionable information" - information structures that can be used to //do stuff//, including \\ (a) predict (deduce), \\ (b) derive potential causes (abduce - like Sherlock Holmes does), \\ ( c) explain, and \\ (d) re-create (like Einstein did with <m>E=mc^2</m>). | |
| | \\ Knowledge \\ = \\ Models | Sets of models allow a thinking agent to do the above, by \\ (a) finding the relevant models for anything (given a certain situation and active goals), \\ (b) apply them according to the goals to derive predictions, \\ ( c) selecting the right actions based on these predictions such that the goals can be achieved, and \\ (d) monitoring the outcome. \\ (Learning then results from correcting the models that predicted incorrectly.) | | | \\ Knowledge \\ = \\ Models | Sets of models allow a thinking agent to do the above, by \\ (a) finding the relevant models for anything (given a certain situation and active goals), \\ (b) apply them according to the goals to derive predictions, \\ ( c) selecting the right actions based on these predictions such that the goals can be achieved, and \\ (d) monitoring the outcome. \\ (Learning then results from correcting the models that predicted incorrectly.) | |
| | \\ What's Contained \\ in Models? | Models must, on their own or in sets, capture in some way: \\ - Patterns \\ - Relations \\ - Volitional acts \\ - Causal chains | | | \\ What's Contained \\ in Models? | To work as building blokcs for knowledge, models must, on their own or in sets, capture in some way: \\ - Patterns \\ - Relations \\ - Volitional acts \\ - Causal chains | |
| | Where Do The Symbols Come In? | Symbols are mechanisms for rounding up model sets - they are "handles" on the information structures. \\ In humans this "rounding up" happens subconsciously and automatically, most of the time, using similarity mapping (content-driven association). | | | Where Do The Symbols Come In? | Symbols are mechanisms for rounding up model sets - they are "handles" on the information structures. \\ In humans this "rounding up" happens subconsciously and automatically, most of the time, using similarity mapping (content-driven association). | |
| | \\ Syntactic Autonomy | To enable autonomous thought, the use of symbols for managing huge sets of models must follow certain rules. For determining the development of biological agents, these rules - their syntax - must exist in form //a priori// of the developing, learning mind, because it determines what these symbols can and cannot do. In this sense, "syntax" means the "rules of management" of information structures (just like the use of symbols in human communication). | | | \\ Syntactic Autonomy | To enable autonomous thought, the use of symbols for managing huge sets of models must follow certain rules. For determining the development of biological agents, these rules - their syntax - must exist in form //a priori// of the developing, learning mind, because it determines what these symbols can and cannot do. In this sense, "syntax" means the "rules of management" of information structures (just like the use of symbols in human communication). | |
| | \\ Historical Note | Chomsky claimed that humans are born with a "language acquisition device". \\ What may be the case is that the language simply sits on top of a more general set of "devices" for the formation of knowledge //in general//. | | | \\ Historical Note | Chomsky claimed that humans are born with a "language acquisition device". \\ What may be the case is that the language simply sits on top of a more general set of "devices" for the formation of knowledge //in general//. | |
| | \\ Evolution & Cognition | Because thought depends on underlying biological structures, and because biological structure depends on ongoing maintenance processes, the syntax and semantics for creating a biological agent, and the syntax and semantics for generating meaningful thought in such an agent, both depend on //syntactic autonomy// - i.e. rules that determine how the referential processes of **encode-transmit-decode** work. | | | Evolution & Cognition | Because thought depends on underlying biological structures, and because biological structure depends on ongoing maintenance processes, the syntax and semantics for creating a biological agent, and the syntax and semantics for generating meaningful thought in such an agent, both depend on //syntactic autonomy// - i.e. rules that determine how the referential processes of **encode-transmit-decode** work. | |
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