[Cover] [Contents] [Index] Previous page Next Section

Page 117
now formulate a similar requirement for the paradigm of function learning.
5.63 Definition (Case and Ngo-Manguelle [34])
(a) M is Popperian on f just in case for all n, 0117-001.gif.
(b) M is Popperian on 0117-002.gif just in case M is Popperian on each 0117-003.gif.
(c) M is Popperian just in case M is Popperian on Image-1221.gif.
(d) 0117-004.gif.
(e) 0117-005.gif.
An index for a total computable function is a testable hypothesis, since it is possible to test its accuracy against the data provided by a finite sequence. Such testability motivates the terminology "Popperian," since Popper (e.g, [153]) insisted on this aspect of scientific practice. Requiring the testability of hypotheses appears to be a useful requirement. However, like many other seemingly rational constraints, both versions of Popperian scientists pay a price for their rationality, as implied by the next result.
5.64 Proposition 0117-006.gif.
Proof: Clearly, 0117-007.gif.
We first show that 0117-008.gif.
Consider again the collection of self-describing computable functions 0117-009.gif Clearly, 0117-010.gif. Suppose by way of contradiction that M is Popperian (on Image-1222.gif) and identifies Image-1223.gif. Then, by Kleene's recursion theorem (Theorem 2.3), there exists an e such that, for all x,
0117-011.gif.
Since M is Popperian,  j e is total and thus 0117-012.gif. Also, for all x > 0, 0117-013.gif Thus 0117-014.gif, a contradiction. Hence, 0117-015.gif.
Let Image-1224.gif be as defined in the proof of Proposition 5.62 on page 116. Clearly, 0117-016.gif. By Exercise 5-22 0117-017.gif.
We describe a nice characterization of [Ex]Popperian First, recall from Definition 5.10 that 0117-018.gif is said to be r.e. indexable exactly when there is an 0117-019.gif such that 0117-020.gif. We define the class
0117-021.gif.

 
[Cover] [Contents] [Index] Previous page Next Section