Principle of Computational Equivalence

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The Principle of computational equivalence is one of the main ideas proposed by Stephen Wolfram in his book A New Kind of Science.

The principle states that systems found in the natural world can perform computations up to a maximal ("universal") level of computational power. Most systems can attain this level.

Systems, in principle, compute the same things as a computer. Computation is therefore simply a question of translating inputs and outputs from one system to another. Consequently, most systems are computationally equivalent. An example of this is the workings of the human brain; another is the evolution of weather systems.

See also

• Turing completeness

External links

• Chapter 12 of "A New Kind of Science"
• Wolfram's Principle of Computational Equivalence: a Reality Check