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of noncomputable scientists thereby facilitates the analysis of proofs, making it clearer which assumptions carry the burden. This issue will be revisited in Chapter 11. |
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On the other hand, Chapters 9 and 10 will discuss senses in which our present conception of scientist is too narrow. Note, for example, that scientists as defined here cannot make decisions on a random basis by including the outcome of a coin-toss as an additional input. |
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§3.4 Language Identification: Scientific Success |
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Languages, hypotheses, texts, and scientists are the dramatis personae of the identification paradigm. To develop its story-line we turn now to the criterion of successful inquiry, 3.1e, which is defined in three steps. |
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3.10 Definition Let scientist F, text T, and be given. |
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(a) F converges to i on T (written: ) just in case for all but finitely many , F(T[n] = i. If there exists an i such that , then we say ; otherwise we say F(T) diverges (written: ). |
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(b) F identifies T just in case there is such that F converges to j on T, and Wj = content(T). |
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So, to identify T, F's conjectures must eventually stabilize to a single grammar for content(T). This is impossible, of course, if T is for a non-r.e. set. In the case of interest, however, T is for some language , hence there are infinitely many grammars for content(T). |
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Suppose that F identifies T. Definition 3.10 places no finite bound on the number of times that F "changes its mind" on T. In other words, the set may be any finite size; it may not, however, be infinite. Similarly, the smallest such that WF(T[m]) = content(T) may be any finite number, so F's first correct guess may occur arbitrarily late in T. It is also permitted that for some , WF(T[n]) = content(T), but . That is, F may abandon correct conjectures, provided that F eventually sticks with some correct conjecture. Observe that to identify a text, a scientist can be undefined on at most a finite number of its initial sequences. |
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