Computation as Information Transformation

Paper i proceeding, 2015

Future progress of new information processing devices capable of dealing with problems such as big data, Internet of things, semantic web, cognitive robotics, neuroinformatics and similar, depends on the adequate and efficient models of computation. We argue that defining computation as information transformation, and given that there is no information without representation, the dynamics of information on the fundamental level is physical/ intrinsic/ natural computation (Dodig-Crnkovic, 2011) (Dodig-Crnkovic, 2014). Intrinsic natural computation occurs on variety of levels of physical processes, such as the levels of computation of living organisms as well as designed computational devices. The present article is building on our typology of models of computation as information processing (Burgin & Dodig-Crnkovic, 2013). It is indicating future paths for the advancement of the field, expected both as a result of the development of new computational models and learning from nature how to better compute using information transformation mechanisms of intrinsic computation.