From: Robin Hanson (rhanson@gmu.edu)
Date: Sun Jun 01 2003 - 17:33:17 MDT
Hal Finney wrote:
>This is a commonly discussed question on the everything-list.
>The consensus resolution is that simpler universes must be inherently
>more probable. To provide an overly concise explanation, this can be
>justified by imagining that universes correspond to computer programs that
>describe the "laws of physics" and initial conditions for that universe.
>Finite length programs can be thought of as prefixes of infinite length
>strings. The measure of a program will be greater if it is shorter,
>because then it is a prefix of proportionately more infinite strings.
>Therefore shorter programs are of higher probability, and therefore
>more lawful universes are inherently more probable. ...
Why simpler things should be more likely is a deep and difficult topic,
which I've read a bit on. But I just don't understand this argument.
Why must universe A have a higher probability that universe B if the
string describing A is a prefix for the string describing B?
Robin Hanson rhanson@gmu.edu http://hanson.gmu.edu
Assistant Professor of Economics, George Mason University
MSN 1D3, Carow Hall, Fairfax VA 22030-4444
703-993-2326 FAX: 703-993-2323
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