A Philosophical Treatise of Universal Induction (Link)
Abstract: Understanding inductive reasoning is a problem that has engaged mankind for thousands of years. This problem is relevant to a wide range of fields and is integral to the philosophy of science. It has been tackled by many great minds ranging from philosophers to scientists to mathematicians, and more recently computer scientists. In this article we argue the case for Solomonoff Induction, a formal inductive framework which combines algorithmic information theory with the Bayesian framework. Although it achieves excellent theoretical results and is based on solid philosophical foundations, the requisite technical knowledge necessary for understanding this framework has caused it to remain largely unknown and unappreciated in the wider scientific community. The main contribution of this article is to convey Solomonoff induction and its related concepts in a generally accessible form with the aim of bridging this current technical gap. In the process we examine the major historical contributions that have led to the formulation of Solomonoff Induction as well as criticisms of Solomonoff and induction in general. In particular we examine how Solomonoff induction addresses many issues that have plagued other inductive systems, such as the black ravens paradox and the confirmation problem, and compare this approach with other recent approaches.
Link: mdpi.com/1099-4300/13/6/1076/
Download PDF Full-Text: mdpi.com/1099-4300/13/6/1076/pdf
Authors: Samuel Rathmanner and Marcus Hutter
Published: 3 June 2011
Via: vetta.org/2011/06/treatise-on-universal-induction/
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As a side-note, here’s Solomonoff’s article on intelligence explosion, a theme at the Solomonoff memorial conference.
Seems very interesting, i will do my best to give it a read. I just posted a discussion with a lot of questions this work might be applicable in. If you answer some questions from my post I’ll be more tempted to read it. ;)
Use what you learned from this pdf though if you really wanna entice me.