The Ecology of Computation (Hardcover)

~ B.A. Huberman (Editor)

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...rich in both inspirational and applicable technical material... -- M.P. Wellman, Artificial Intelligence --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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M.P. Wellman
...rich in both inspirational and applicable technical material...
Artificial Intelligence

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 342 pages
• Publisher: North Holland (March 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0444703756
• ISBN-13: 978-0444703750
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,685,027 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Huberman's essay is worth the price of the book., February 28, 1999

By A Customer

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.