How downwards causation occurs in digital computers

DOI10.1007/S10701-019-00307-6MaRDI QIDQ2286509zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Barbara Drossel, George F. R. Ellis

Publication date 22 January 2020

Published in Foundations of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1908.10186

zbMATH Keywords

digital computersdownward causationemergencelogical controltransistors

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

General theory of computer systems (68M01)

Abstract: Digital computers carry out algorithms coded in high level programs. These abstract entities determine what happens at the physical level: they control whether electrons flow through specific transistors at specific times or not, entailing downward causation in both the logical and implementation hierarchies. This paper explores how this is possible in the light of the alleged causal completeness of physics at the bottom level, and highlights the mechanism that enables strong emergence (the manifest causal effectiveness of application programs) to occur. Although synchronic emergence of higher levels from lower levels is manifestly true, diachronic emergence is generically not the case; indeed we give specific examples where it cannot occur because of the causal effectiveness of higher level variables.

Recommendations

• Emergence in solid state physics and biology
• The causal closure of physics in real world contexts
• Downward causation in fluid convection
• The ontology of digital physics
• Computational versus causal complexity

Cites work

• A tutorial on the free-energy framework for modelling perception and learning
• Advanced solid state physics
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1131224 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1178950 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1178976 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2114374 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 805386 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5254145 (Why is no real title available?)
• Nine algorithms that changed the future. The ingenious ideas that drive today's computers. With a foreword by Chris Bishop
• Quantum mechanics.
• The Oxford solid state basics

Cited in

(6)

• Emergence of time
• Physical time and human time
• Building low level causation out of high level causation
• Quantum physics, digital computers, and life from a holistic perspective
• The causal closure of physics in real world contexts
• Emergence in solid state physics and biology

This page was built for publication: How downwards causation occurs in digital computers

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2286509)