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asr comments on AI is not enough - Less Wrong Discussion

-22 Post author: benjayk 07 February 2012 03:53PM

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Comment author: asr 08 February 2012 08:17:09AM 0 points [-]

From a math/compsci perspective, the most common definition is neither of these. Algorithm-3 is a deterministic process which terminates in finite time and yields some output. Thus an algorithm under definition three is essentially akin to a computable function.

I was writing sloppily without checking a reference. However, I did want to include randomized algorithms, online algorithms, and suchlike under definition 1.

Comment author: JoshuaZ 08 February 2012 02:13:20PM 0 points [-]

Yes, I'm suggesting that most of the time when people use the term "algorithm" they don't mean to include those so there's a useful third notion of algorithm. I'm still not completely sure which of these the OP actually intended.