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  • © 2017

Mathematical Structures of Natural Intelligence

Authors:

  • Presents a comprehensive neo-structuralist theory of intelligence as embedded in nature and culture
  • Uncovers general mathematical structures of relations underlying natural intelligence
  • Illustrates structures of intelligence in various fields from neuroscience to natural language

Part of the book series: Mathematics in Mind (MATHMIN)

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Table of contents (15 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
  2. Part I

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. How to Trick the Demon of Entropy

      • Yair Neuman
      Pages 47-51
    3. Neural Networks and Groupoids

      • Yair Neuman
      Pages 53-62
  3. Part II

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 63-63
    2. Natural Intelligence in the Wild

      • Yair Neuman
      Pages 65-70
    3. Natural Intelligence Is About Meaning

      • Yair Neuman
      Pages 71-76
    4. From Identity to Equivalence

      • Yair Neuman
      Pages 77-84
    5. On Negation

      • Yair Neuman
      Pages 85-91
    6. Modeling: The Structuralist Way

      • Yair Neuman
      Pages 93-102
    7. On Structures and Wholes

      • Yair Neuman
      Pages 103-117
  4. Part III

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 119-119
    2. Discussion

      • Yair Neuman
      Pages 155-161
  5. Back Matter

    Pages 163-173

About this book

This book uncovers mathematical structures underlying natural intelligence and applies category theory as a modeling language for understanding human cognition, giving readers new insights into the nature of human thought. In this context, the book explores various topics and questions, such as the human representation of the number system, why our counting ability is different from that which is evident among non-human organisms, and why the idea of zero is so difficult to grasp.


The book is organized into three parts: the first introduces the general reason for studying general structures underlying the human mind; the second part introduces category theory as a modeling language and use it for exposing the deep and fascinating structures underlying human cognition; and the third applies the general principles and ideas of the first two parts to reaching a better understanding of challenging aspects of the human mind such as our understanding of thenumber system, the metaphorical nature of our thinking and the logic of our unconscious dynamics.

 


Reviews

“The text has a significant philosophical and psychological flavor interestingly combined with mathematical concepts. ... The author presents his vision on describing philosophical aspects regarding natural intelligence in mathematical terms. His point of view can be of interest for readers wishing to enrich their knowledge and make new connections.” (Liviu Goraș, zbMATH 1383.92003, 2018)

Authors and Affiliations

  • The Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Yair Neuman

About the author

Yair Neuman is a Professor at The Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and the Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience at Ben-Gurion University. He holds a BA in Psychology (Major) and Philosophy (Minor) and a PhD in Cognition (Hebrew University, 1999), and his expertise is in studying complex cognitive, social, and symbolic systems from a unique interdisciplinary approach. Professor Neuman has published numerous papers and five academic books and has been a visiting scholar or professor at MIT, the University of Toronto, the University of Oxford, and the Weizmann Institute of Science. Beyond his purely academic work, he has developed state-of-the-art algorithms for social and cognitive computing, such as those he developed for the IARPA metaphor project (ADAMA group).

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 39.99 USD 79.99
50% discount Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 49.99 USD 99.99
50% discount Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 49.99 USD 99.99
50% discount Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access