Goals in Adaptive Systems

In the realm of adaptive systems, goals are a central concept around which different theorists have built their models. Three notable models that incorporate goals are Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety, Arthur Koestler's concept of bisociation, and the definition of intelligence offered by Marcus Hutter. This article explores the function of goals within each of these models and discusses how the principle of compounding can enhance the effectiveness of goal achievement.

Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety

W. Ross Ashby's Law of Requisite Variety is a foundational principle in cybernetics and control theory. It stipulates that for a system to be stable, the number of states that its control mechanism can attain must be greater than or equal to the number of states in the system being controlled. In this context, goals function as the desired states that the control system seeks to maintain or achieve. The variety in the control system must be sufficient to address the diverse challenges presented by the environment to meet these goals effectively. By applying the principle of compounding, a system can incrementally adjust its variety, learning and adapting from past experiences, thereby increasing its ability to swiftly and efficiently reach its goals with less energy expenditure over time.

Example: Immune System Response

The human immune system is a real-life example of a complex control system that must deal with a vast array of pathogens. According to the Law of Requisite Variety, for the immune system to effectively protect the body, it must have a repertoire of responses that is at least as diverse as the pathogens it might encounter. The immune system achieves this through compounding in the form of adaptive immunity. When the body is exposed to a new pathogen, it not only fights off the current infection but also creates memory cells that "learn" the attributes of the pathogen. This evolutionary development allows the immune system to respond more quickly and efficiently should the same pathogen attack again, thus using less energy in subsequent encounters.

Arthur Koestler's Concept of Bisociation

Arthur Koestler introduced the concept of bisociation to explain how creativity emerges from the intersection of two unrelated frames of reference. Goals in Koestler's model function as desired outcomes of creative processes. Bisociation allows for novel solutions by creating connections between disparate ideas. Through compounding, a frequent exposure to diverse domains and experiences can foster a richer substrate for bisociation, enhancing the likelihood of discovering innovative pathways to goals.

Creativity and Innovation Through Bisociation: The Case of Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web

In The Act of Creation, Arthur Koestler posits the concept of bisociation as a cornerstone of creativity—asserting that groundbreaking ideas often emerge at the confluence of distinct knowledge domains. Unlike mere association, which functions within a single plane of thought, bisociation allows for a leap into a novel intellectual space where two unrelated frames of reference intersect. It is this intersection that can lead to revolutionary discoveries and innovations.

A prime example of bisociation at work is Tim Berners-Lee's invention of the World Wide Web. Berners-Lee was able to envision a new method of information management by bringing together disparate technologies and ideas, creating something that was far greater than the sum of its parts. He had a goal—a desire to facilitate the sharing of information in a more efficient way. To reach this, he capitalized on the concept of hypertext, a method of linking text on a computer that permits navigation through a text dataset. He then combined this concept with the existing Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Domain Name System (DNS), two fundamental building blocks that underpinned the functioning of the internet.

The TCP provides reliable, ordered, and error-checked delivery of a stream of bytes between applications running on hosts communicating over an IP network. DNS translates more readily memorized domain names to the numerical IP addresses needed for the purpose of locating computer services and devices worldwide. Prior to Berners-Lee's insight, these technologies were not associated with the concept of hypertext.

Through the lens of bisociation, we can deconstruct Berners-Lee's creative process. The hypertext idea represents one plane of thought, a way of organizing and displaying documents connected by nonlinear links. The TCP and DNS concepts belong to another plane, concerned with the technical framework enabling communication across networks. Berners-Lee's genius was in blending these planes to forge the World Wide Web, a unified system that utilized hypertext to access information through the medium of the internet. His statement "I just had to take the hypertext idea and connect it to the TCP and DNS ideas and — ta-da!— the World Wide Web," depicts a classic case of bisociation.

What facilitated Berners-Lee's bisociative leap was his compounded exposure to these different technological realms. Consistent engagement with various ideas and systems increased the substrate from which he could draw connections, enhancing his capacity to uncover an innovative pathway to his goal. It is akin to preparing the soil for the seeds of creativity, which thrive on the diversity of intellectual nutrients.

The systematic that Berners-Lee exemplifies suggests that fostering an environment where interdisciplinary experiences and knowledge are encouraged can significantly heighten creative potential. For students, researchers, and professionals aiming to drive innovation, it becomes essential to cultivate a habit of looking beyond their immediate fields of study or work, to explore and understand seemingly unrelated domains. This expansive approach to learning and problem-solving sets the stage for the bisociative process, enabling the conception of ideas that can alter the course of technology, culture, and society.

Ultimately, Tim Berners-Lee's story is more than a historical footnote in the annals of tech innovation; it is a powerful narrative that demonstrates how the union of diverse concepts—under the guiding hand of a clear goal—can manifest creations that are revolutionary, impactful, and transformative. Indeed, the World Wide Web is a monument to the boundless potentialities of the human mind, underscored by the principle of bisociation.

Markus Hutter's Definition of Intelligence

Deeply rooted in the study of artificial intelligence, Markus Hutter has defined intelligence as the ability to achieve goals in a wide range of environments. In Hutter's model, goals are benchmarks against which the performance of an intelligent agent is measured. According to Hutter, an intelligent system should be capable of learning and adapting to work towards its goals efficiently. The principle of compounding, when applied to intelligence, suggests that each learning experience builds upon the previous one, leading to a more refined strategy for goal achievement. This amplifies an agent's ability to reach goals faster and with less energy as it navigates increasingly complex environments.

Conclusion

In all three models, goals are pivotal in guiding system behavior, whether it's maintaining stability, fostering creativity, or maximizing intelligent performance. The principle of compounding acts as a force multiplier, leveraging past experience to improve future outcomes. By understanding the role of goals and the power of compounding, developers and theorists can design systems that excel in realizing objectives with greater speed, efficiency, and resourcefulness.