Hyperdimensional Computing: An introduction to computing in distributed representation with high-dimensional random vectors by Pentti Kanerva (Cognitive Computation 1(2): 139-159)
You know it is going to be a Jack Park sort of day when the morning email has a notice about a presentation entitled: “Hyperdimensional Computing for Modeling How Brains Compute”. With the link you see above in the email. 😉
What’s a Jack Park sort of day like? Well, it certainly throws you off the track you were on before you sat down at the monitor. And pretty soon you are adding things like: Holographic Reduced Representation: Distributed Representation for Cognitive Structures by Tony Plate to your Amazon wish list. And adding to an already desk busting pile of papers that need your attention.
In short: A day that suits me just fine!
Suggest you read the paper, whether you add Tony’s book to your wish list or not. (Just in case you are interested, Patrick’s wish list. Or related items. If I get/have duplicates I can donate them to the library.)
I think the hyperdimensional computing approach may be one way to talk about the present need to make representations unnaturally precise so that our computing systems can deal with them. I say “unnaturally precise” because the descriptions or definitions needed by our computers aren’t necessary outside their context. If I call Jack up on the phone, I don’t say: “http://www.durusau.net/general/about.html” identifer for user who wishes to speak to (identifier for Jack), etc.” No, I say: “This is Patrick.” Trusting that if Jack is awake and I don’t have a cold, Jack will recognize my voice.
There are any number of reasons why Jack will recognize it is me and not some other Patrick he knows. I will be calling for Georgia, which as a particular area code, the time of day will be right, I have a Southern accent, any number of clues, even before we get to my self-identification.
To increase the usefulness of our information systems, they need to become a lot more like us and not have us flattening our worlds to become a lot more like them.
Jack’s “Hyperdimensional Computing” may be one path in that direction.