This book questions the relevance of computation to the physical universe. Our theories deliver computational descriptions, but the gaps and discontinuities in our grasp suggest a need for continued discourse between researchers from different disciplines, and this book is unique in its focus on the mathematical theory of incomputability and its relevance for the real world. The core of the book consists of thirteen chapters in five parts on extended models of computation; the search for natural examples of incomputable objects; mind, matter, and computation; the nature of information, complexity, and randomness; and the mathematics of emergence and morphogenesis.
This book will be of interest to researchers in the areas of theoretical computer science, mathematical logic, and philosophy.
This book will be of interest to researchers in the areas of theoretical computer science, mathematical logic, and philosophy.
"The incomputable explores selected recent research into various aspects of computability. This includes abstract models of computation, how quantum algorithms could in some sense redefine aspects of computability, and how the notion of computability relates to the physical world and physical processes. The book leads with a tribute to the late Ivan Soskov, a Bulgarian computer scientist who dedicated his professional career to studying computability theories, particularly computability over abstract structures." (G. R. Mayforth,Computing Reviews, March, 2018)