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Article 1846 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: erwin@trwacs.UUCP (Harry Erwin)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Penrose
Message-ID: <446@trwacs.UUCP>
Date: 4 Dec 91 13:37:35 GMT
References: <1991Nov16.014015.1074@yarra-glen.aaii.oz.au> <OZ.91Nov19130115@ursa.sis.yorku.ca> <1991Nov20.002510.5654@husc3.harvard.edu> <1991Nov20.174026.6107@spss.com> <24983.292ae33f@oregon.uoregon.edu>
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There's an article that may be relevant in an old IEEE Transactions on
Automatic Control:

Large Deviations and Rare Events in the Study of Stochastic Algorithms,
Cottrell, M., Fort, J-C., and Malgouyres, G., IEEE Trans Auto Cpnt, V
AC-28, Nr. 9, 907-919, September 1983. 

Abstract:
New asymptotic formulas for the mean exit time from an almost stable
domain of a discrete-time Markov process are obtained. An original fast
simulation method is also proposed. The mathematical background involves
the large deviation theorems and approximations by a diffusion process. We
are chiefly concerned with the classical Robbins-Monroe algorithm. The
validity of the results are tested on examples from the ALOHA system (a
satellite communication algorithm).

The reason I mention this is that a computer can emulate Penrose's model
of thought by executing a stochastic algorithm that has major state
changes represented as rare events.

There has been some work in this area in the modelling of cancer
causation.

Cheers,

-- 
Harry Erwin
Internet: erwin@trwacs.fp.trw.com



