2007/12/31 by Patrizio Frosini, Frosini, Patrizio
Computer Science · Social Sciences · #Artificial Intelligence (cs.AI) #Cellular Automata and Applications #Computability, Logic, AI Algorithms #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Logic in Computer Science (cs.LO)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.0801.0232
openalex publication_date 2007/12/31 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Contradiction is often seen as a defect of intelligent systems and a dangerous limitation on efficiency. In this paper we raise the question of whether, on the contrary, it could be considered a key tool in increasing intelligence in biological structures. A possible way of answering this question in a mathematical context is shown, formulating a proposition that suggests a link between intelligence and contradiction. A concrete approach is presented in the well-defined setting of cellular automata. Here we define the models of ``observer'', ``entity'', ``environment'', ``intelligence'' and ``contradiction''. These definitions, which roughly correspond to the common meaning of these words, allow us to deduce a simple but strong result about these concepts in an unbiased, mathematical manner. Evidence for a real-world counterpart to the demonstrated formal link between intelligence and contradiction is provided by three computational experiments.