19 books
—
8 voters
Computation
Computation is any type of calculation that includes both arithmetical and non-arithmetical steps and follows a well-defined model understood and described as, for example, an algorithm.
The study of computation is paramount to the discipline of computer science.
The study of computation is paramount to the discipline of computer science.
Related Genres
“
If you understand McCarthy's eval, you understand more than just a stage in the history of languages. These ideas are still the semantic core of Lisp today. So studying McCarthy's original paper shows us, in a sense, what Lisp really is. It's not something that McCarthy designed so much as something he discovered. It's not intrinsically a language for AI or for rapid prototyping, or any other task at that level. It's what you get (or one thing you get) when you try to axiomatize computation.
...more
”
―
―
“
The reason [James Clerk] Maxwell's Demon cannot exist is that it does take resources to perform an act of discrimination. We imagine computation is free, but it never is. The very act of choosing which particle is cold or hot itself becomes an energy drain and a source of waste heat. The principle is also known as "no free lunch."
We do our best to implement Maxwell's Demon whenever we manipulate reality with our technologies, but we can never do so perfectly; we certainly can't get ahead of the
...more
”
― Who Owns the Future?
― Who Owns the Future?
