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The role of representation in computation.
1Philosophy, School of Humanities, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia. gerard.obrien@adelaide.edu.au
Cognitive Processing
|September 19, 2008
Summary
Representation is crucial for explaining natural intelligence in cognitive science. This study demonstrates its indispensable role in both digital and analog computation, defending its continued use in the field.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Science
- Philosophy of Mind
- Computational Theory
Background:
- Debate on the explanatory value of representation in cognitive science.
- Some researchers advocate for discarding the concept of representation.
- This paper defends the necessity of representation for explaining natural intelligence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To defend the explanatory role of representation in cognitive science.
- To examine the function of representation in computational models.
- To argue against the removal of representation as a core concept.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of digital computation methods in modeling.
- Analysis of analog computation methods in modeling.
- Examination of a simple target system using both computational approaches.
Main Results:
- Representation plays an in-eliminable role in digital computation models.
- Representation plays an in-eliminable role in analog computation models.
- Both computational methods rely on representation for explanatory power.
Conclusions:
- Representation is essential for explaining natural intelligence.
- To the extent biological systems compute, representation is vital for cognitive science.
- The concept of representation should be retained in cognitive science.
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