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Probably Approximately Correct: Nature's Algorithms for Learning and Prospering in a Complex World
Probably Approximately Correct Nature's Algorithms for Learning and Prospering in a Complex World Author:Leslie Valiant We have effective theories for very few things. Gravity is one, electromagnetism another. But for most things—whether as basic as finding a mate or as complex as managing an economy—our theories are weak or nonexistent. Fortunately, we don?t need them, any more than a fish needs a theory of water to swim; we muddle through. But how do we do it? ... more »In Probably Approximately Correct, computer scientist Leslie Valiant presents a theory of the theoryless. The key is “probably approximately correct? learning, Valiant?s model of how effective behavior can be learned even in a world as complex as our own. This model reveals the shared computational nature of evolution and learning, shows how computers might possess authentic intelligence, and sheds some light on human nature, shaped as it has been by evolution and adaptation. Valiant also shows why pragmatically coping with a problem can provide a satisfactory solution in the absence of any theory—after all, finding a mate is a lot more satisfying than finding a theory of mating.
Offering an elegant, powerful model that encompasses all of life?s complexity, Probably Approximately Correct will revolutionize the way we look at the universe?s greatest mysteries.« less