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Machine Self-Reference

eecis.udel.edu · 993 words · saved by 1 readers

For general computer programs, in contexts where mirrors may not be available, a quiescent (low level) self-model can be obtained by a mechanism logically similar to the self-replication mechanism employed by single-celled organisms. See the second reference under REPRESENTATIVE PUBLICATIONS below or click here for an brief essay of mine on the subject. For more information on self-replication mechanisms, see Moshe Sipper's Page on Machine Self-Replication. For connections to self-modification, see this link to the work of J-Paul Moulin. I am interested in three aspects of machine self-reference. Historically, machine (or program) self-reference started with the well-known mathematical logician Steven Kleene (see references just below). Kleene's predecessor was the mathematical logician of the century Kurt Gödel who introduced the use of self-referential sentences in formal languages of arithmetic. I plan to write a paper revisiting self-referential sentences, which paper will be based

Machine Self-Reference Machine Self-Reference The robot pictured below has a transparent front and is facing an (expandable) board, a little to its right, and a mirror , a little to its left. It's transparent front enables it to see in the mirror its complete underlying mechanism, flowchart, or program. The board serves for input, output, and intermediate computations. Such a self-referential or self-reflecting robot has data access, then, to a complete (low level) self model. It is depicted already having copied onto the board a portion of its ``program'' (corrected for mirror reversal). Note

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