Computation and its Limits

by Paul Cockshott, Lewis M. MacKenzie, Gregory Michaelson

Computation and its Limits is an innovative cross-disciplinary investigation of the relationship between computing and physical reality. It begins by exploring the mystery of why mathematics is so effective in science and seeks to explain this in terms of the modelling of one part of physical reality by another. Going from the origins of counting to the most blue-skies proposals for novel methods of computation, the authors investigate the extent to which the laws of nature and of logic constrain what we can compute. In the process they examine formal computability, the thermodynamics of computation, and the promise of quantum computing.

Genres: Philosophy, Computer Science, Science

246 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2012

About the author

Paul Cockshott was a computer scientist at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Reviews

[WarpDrive · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite an intriguing and atypically multi-disciplinary investigation into the nature of computing, its relationship to information theory, mathematics and physical sciences, and its future prospects, including looming and potentially critical technological and theoretical limitations. Aspects of formal computability and the thermodynamics of computation are also explored.

The book is relatively accessible (generally at undergraduate level) but it occasionally tends to get quite succinct and technical: some decent knowledge of the basics of information theory, of logic, of formal computability (some exposure to the main concepts of computational complexity theory is very highly recommended), of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics are quite important to fully appreciate the insights presented in this book. If I had a to somewhat categorize this book, I would define it as a technically-oriented, multi-disciplinary book about the current themes in computation theory in general.

Laudable in its efforts to achieve a multidisciplinary approach, and presenting many very interesting insights, this is a really interesting and informative book, addressing not just the existing concepts and results, but also the most leading edge theoretical and technological research, including quantum computing and some of the more exotic “hyper-computing” proposals; requiring a careful close reading, compounded with a required undergraduate-level prior knowledge and exposure to the themes being discussed, it is still a remarkably accessible book for the themes being presented.

4-stars.

[Navin Prakash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read who asks this question - what exactly is computation ? Why is it everywhere ?

This books helps if you have this curiosity and in the end you will know how philosophy of computation.

[TheEoJMan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the section on quantum computers unreadable, but besides that everything in here was great. I thought the discussion of Landauer's limit particularly insightful.