Jean-Louis Dessalles
~ A few original theoretical results.
Here is a list of original theoretical results that
I believe to be of some interest.
Simplicity Theory. Interesting events are simpler to describe
than to generate. This law predicts that events close in time and space are
more likely to raise interest. It also predicts the fascination of coincidences,
story rounds, and several other spectacular aspects of spontaneous
communication.
Generative theory of
spontaneous dialogue. I arrived at a minimal algorithm able to predict
aspects of argument generation in spontaneous discussion.
A new paradigm for non-kin altruism. Non-kin altruism is possible between selfish agents in the absence of cooperation.
Language as a display
device. Language evolved as a way to advertise one’s informational
abilities. This evolution was possible in the political context of our species,
where individuals must rely on precise criteria to choose their allies.
more on the
emergence of language
Qualia are (locally)
optimal, therefore they can’t be epiphenomenal (but the ‘explanatory
gap’ remains unfortunately intact).
Concepts are neither
categories nor permanent symbolic structures. Together with
thesis (
Time as a procedure.
Time cannot be implemented in a static structure in the brain. Together with
papier (MFI’03, in French)
paper
(Techn. Report)
What matters isn’t
innateness, but anisotropic bias. I show that the nature-nurture
debate should be rephrased: rather than invoking some ill-defined
"quantity" of innate knowledge, it should oppose isotropic to
anisotropic biases.
paper (ECML)
Emergence = complexity
drop. Together with
paper (in Intellectica)
Problem solving isn’t
purely procedural. Together with
thesis (
paper
(CALISCE’98)
paper
(ECCM-98)
(other topics I investigated: see books and papers).
~ My scientific favourites
I am very
much impressed by two theories, in two radically different domains,
anthropology and cognition. I am ready to bet that these two theories will be
remembered in a far future.
Chris Knight’s model of the
emergence of human culture. His theory is one of the rare successful attempts
to solve the many apparent contradictions between anthropological universals
and what we expect from evolution through natural selection. Knight expands
Turke’s explanation of sexual specialisation (with men leaving women alone when
hunting). Woman synchronicity becomes central in explaining various universals
like food restrictions, taboos, costly rituals, and myths.
Knight is aware of many constraints
(esp. evolutionary and ethological constraints) that are merely ignored by most
scholars in anthropology. His great achievement is to put logic in what,
otherwise, looks like a vast mess of anecdotal anthropological facts.
Knight’s logic is impressive! Just read his Blood relations –
Menstruations and the origin of culture (Yale University Press, 1991).
Read the New Scientist’s review by Kate
Douglas.
Michael Leyton’s generative
theory of shape is a remarkable synthesis of many previous theoretical advances
like Gestalt theory. Leyton’s basic idea is that perception works through structure
transfer. Mathematically, transfer results from elements of a group acting
on another group. You perceived your tiled floor, not as a set of disconnected
tiles, but as one repeated tile. This is why you find structure in the
floor. One tile is transferred through the group of 2D-integer translations.
The world appears to us as a nested construction in which each step consists of
a maximal transfer of structure.
Leyton construction captures a fundamental property of human cognition. We are
not Turing machines. We are bound to see the world through nested group
operations.
Leyton’s work, though mathematically intricate, is insightful. I am impressed
by its explanation power. Just read his Symmetry, Causality and Mind
(MIT Press, 1992) and A
generative theory of shape (Springer Verlag 2001).
~ Organisation
Membre
du comité éditorial de Advances in Complex Systems
Member of the editorial board
of Advances in Complex Systems
Membre
du comité éditorial de Interaction
Studies
Member of the editorial board
of Interaction Studies
Organisation
de la 3rd International Conference on the
Evolution of Language
I organised the 3rd International Conference on the Evolution
of Language
Organisation de la journée scientifique de l'Association pour la Recherche Cognitive
du 08.12.2000: "Evolution et Cognition"
Membre du comité d'organisation de la
conférence EVOLANG
Member of the organisation
committee of the International
Conference on the Evolution of Language
Membre du comité d'organisation de la
conférence
Modèles formels pour
l'Interaction
Participation à des groupes de recherche
Modélisation du langage
(initiative OHLL du CNRS)