There seems to be more heat that light in this discussion. There's
several things going on here:
1. A social revolution in the use of information technology (mobile
phones, internet and all that). This is beyond dispute, I believe, and
I didn't see anyone on this list disputing that.
2. A scientific revolution - use of computer simulations as a 3rd way
from theory and experiment. This is using computing technology, as
opposed to information technology, and is about 2 decades older thatn
the social revolution. Again, there is little dispute in this.
3. An epistemological revolution - a paradigm shift that sees reality
cast in terms of a computational or algorithmic metaphor. This is how
Tim May interpreted "algorithmic revolution", as did I.
4. A mathematical revolution - algorithmic information theory has been
explosive since it was founded in the mid-60s. It has profound
consequences to the roots of mathematics.
No. 3 is the type of thesis promoted by Wolfram, and goes back at
least to Konrad Zuse in the 1960s. It is worth treating with a
considerable grain of salt - it is a paradigm, as potentially wrong
as the clockwork model in the late 19th century.
No. 4 - I think the jury is still out. Practical applications of AIT
are still rather meagre compared with more traditional areas of
mathematics. But I do think it is a fascinating area of study.
Cheers
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A/Prof Russell Standish Director
High Performance Computing Support Unit, Phone 9385 6967, 8308 3119 (mobile)
UNSW SYDNEY 2052 Fax 9385 6965, 0425 253119 (")
Australia R.Standish.domain.name.hidden
Room 2075, Red Centre
http://parallel.hpc.unsw.edu.au/rks
International prefix +612, Interstate prefix 02
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Received on Wed Nov 20 2002 - 18:16:15 PST