Customer Reviews

The Ecology of Computation (Studies in Artificial Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, No. 2)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Huberman shows that delay of information about other processors is sufficient to produce genuine chaos in distributed computer systems. He suggests this is true of cognitive production systems, i.e., organizations, as well. I call this phenomenon a Huberman game. Here's an example. A room full of people close their eyes and raise either one or two fingers. Assuming the split is not 50-50, which is most times, the majority must pay the minority a fine proportional to the difference. Repeat the process. Some of the majority, perhaps many, will change their gesture. If too many change they lose again. Absent communication they are unlikely to converge on a 50-50 equilibrium. Rather they will oscillate chaotically around it. This is the essence of commodity markets and business cycles generally. They are Huberman games driven by delay of information about what others are going to do. Classic economics has always admitted that its assumption of perfect information was false, but we never knew what difference it made. I think Huberman has solved that puzzle.