Automatic formation of a “machine theory” representing a mapping
Saul Amarel · 1961
This paper presents certain aspects of our current investigation on the realization of “concept formation” in an information processing machine M. We assume that a “concept” is explicitly defined by a class Di whose membership consists of pairs of expressions in the form (I:O) that are instances of a mapping Si; we have Si (I) = O for all (I:O) in Di. We further assume that a limited sample from Di is admitted in M and provides the basis for the construction of a machine I representation of the “concept” we consider such machine representation as embodying the machine meaning of the “concept”, or alternatively as a machine theory of the mapping Si. Our objective is to study systems for the automatic formation in M of a machine theory of Si that has the form of a “simple” procedure hDi, such that hdi (I) = O for all the members I:O of Di. A procedure hDi can be realized in M either in the form of a computer program or as a switching network; in each case it expresses the mapping Si in terms of a language available to M at the time of theory formation.