Related papers: Computational capacity of the universe
We discuss the problem of counting the maximum number of distinct states that an isolated physical system can pass through in a given period of time---its maximum speed of dynamical evolution. Previous analyses have given bounds in terms of…
It is widely believed that one signal can carry maximum one bit of information, and minimum KTlog2 energy is required to transmit or to erase a bit. Here it is shown four bits of information can be transmitted by one signal in four…
Tailoring many-body interactions among a proper quantum system endows it with computing ability by means of static quantum computation in the sense that some of the physical degrees of freedom can be used to store binary information and the…
We report a new limitation on the ability of physical systems to perform computation -- one that is based on generalizing the notion of memory, or storage space, available to the system to perform the computation. Roughly, we define memory…
Currently it is widely accepted that the language of science is mathematics. This book explores an alternative idea where the future of science is based on the language of algorithms and programs. How such a language can actually be…
This short paper proposes an alternative theory to Anthropic Principle. According to our interpretation, the Universe is not "fine-tuned" for life, but "roughly-tuned" for computation and its biofilness is only a phenomenon. This standpoint…
Establishing how one should describe and study natures fundamental degrees of freedom is a notoriously difficult problem. It is tempting to assume that the number of bits (or qubits) needed in a given Planckian 3-volume, or perhaps…
While the engineering of operating systems is well understood, their formal structure and properties are not. The latter needs a clear definition of the purpose of an OS and an identification of the core. In this paper I offer definitions…
How best to quantify the information of an object, whether natural or artifact, is a problem of wide interest. A related problem is the computability of an object. We present practical examples of a new way to address this problem. By…
Computer simulation of observable phenomena is an indispensable tool for engineering new technology, understanding the natural world, and studying human society. Yet the most interesting systems are often complex, such that simulating their…
Existing physical theories do not predict every feature of our experience but only certain regularities of that experience. That difference between what could be observed and what can be predicted is one kind of limit on scientific…
With the relentless rise of computer power, there is a widespread expectation that computers can solve the most pressing problems of science, and even more besides. We explore the limits of computational modelling and conclude that, in the…
The world is four-dimensional according to fundamental physics, governed by basic laws that operate in a spacetime that has no unique division into space and time. Yet our subjective experience is divided into present, past, and future.…
We investigate algorithmic control of a large swarm of mobile particles (such as robots, sensors, or building material) that move in a 2D workspace using a global input signal (such as gravity or a magnetic field). We show that a maze of…
Quantum algorithms require less operations than classical algorithms. The exact reason of this has not been pinpointed until now. Our explanation is that quantum algorithms know in advance 50% of the solution of the problem they will find…
I argue that both digital and analog information are important in the foundations of quantum physics. If it is possible for information present in one system to become present in others without being erased in the original system I will say…
Consider a function f which is defined on the integers from 1 to N and takes the values -1 and +1. The parity of f is the product over all x from 1 to N of f(x). With no further information about f, to classically determine the parity of f…
Nature's many complex systems--physical, biological, and cultural--are islands of low-entropy order within increasingly disordered seas of surrounding, high-entropy chaos. Energy is a principal facilitator of the rising complexity of all…
We describe here, for the first time, a lower bound on the total number of fundamental constants required for a mathematical description of our physical universe to be complete. The answer is shown to be one. The formal arithmetized…
A photon can encode several bits of information based on an alphabet of its time of arrival, energy, and polarization. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle places a limit on measuring pairs of physical properties of a particle, limiting the…