Computation in Physical Systems: A Normative Mapping Account

The relationship between abstract formal procedures and the activities of actual physical systems has proved to be surprisingly subtle and controversial, and there are a number of competing accounts of when a physical system can be properly said to implement a mathematical formalism and hence perform a computation. I defend an account wherein computational descriptions of physical systems are high-level normative interpretations motivated by our pragmatic concerns. Furthermore, the criteria of utility and success vary according to our diverse purposes and pragmatic goals. Hence there is no independent or uniform fact to the matter, and I advance the ‘anti-realist’ conclusion that computational descriptions of physical systems are not founded upon deep ontological distinctions, but rather upon interest-relative human conventions. Hence physical computation is a ‘conventional’ rather than a ‘natural’ kind

Quantitative modelling approaches for lean manufacturing under uncertainty

[EN] Lean manufacturing (LM) applies different tools that help to eliminate waste as well as the opera-tions that do not add value to the product or processes to increase the value of each performedactivity. Here the main motivation is to study how quantitative modelling approaches can supportLM tools even under system and environment uncertainties. The main contributions of the articleare: (i) providing a systematic literature review of 99 works related to the modelling of uncertaintyin LM environments; (ii) proposing a methodology to classify the reviewed works; (iii) classifyingLM works under uncertainty; and (iv) identify quantitative models and their solution to deal withuncertainty in LM environments by identifying the main variables involved. Hence this article pro-vides a conceptual framework for future LM quantitative modelling under uncertainty as a guide foracademics, researchers and industrial practitioners. The main findings identify that LM under uncer-tainty has been empirically investigated mainly in the US, India and the UK in the automotive andaerospace manufacturing sectors using analytical and simulation models to minimise time and cost.Value stream mapping (VSM) and just in time (JIT) are the most used LM techniques to reduce wastein a context of system uncertainty.The research leading to these results received funding fromthe project 'Industrial Production and Logistics Optimizationin Industry 4.0' (i4OPT) (Ref. PROMETEO/2021/065) granted by the Valencian Regional Government; and grant PDC2022-133957-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and by European Union Next Generation EU/PRTR.Rojas, T.; Mula, J.; Sanchis, R. (2023). Quantitative modelling approaches for lean manufacturing under uncertainty. International Journal of Production Research. 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2023.229313812

The Computability-Theoretic Content of Emergence

In dealing with emergent phenomena, a common task is to identify useful descriptions of them in terms of the underlying atomic processes, and to extract enough computational content from these descriptions to enable predictions to be made. Generally, the underlying atomic processes are quite well understood, and (with important exceptions) captured by mathematics from which it is relatively easy to extract algorithmic con- tent. A widespread view is that the difficulty in describing transitions from algorithmic activity to the emergence associated with chaotic situations is a simple case of complexity outstripping computational resources and human ingenuity. Or, on the other hand, that phenomena transcending the standard Turing model of computation, if they exist, must necessarily lie outside the domain of classical computability theory. In this article we suggest that much of the current confusion arises from conceptual gaps and the lack of a suitably fundamental model within which to situate emergence. We examine the potential for placing emer- gent relations in a familiar context based on Turing's 1939 model for interactive computation over structures described in terms of reals. The explanatory power of this model is explored, formalising informal descrip- tions in terms of mathematical definability and invariance, and relating a range of basic scientific puzzles to results and intractable problems in computability theory

Perspectives on the Neuroscience of Cognition and Consciousness

The origin and current use of the concepts of computation, representation and information in Neuroscience are examined and conceptual flaws are identified which vitiate their usefulness for addressing problems of the neural basis of Cognition and Consciousness. In contrast, a convergence of views is presented to support the characterization of the Nervous System as a complex dynamical system operating in the metastable regime, and capable of evolving to configurations and transitions in phase space with potential relevance for Cognition and Consciousness

The impact of digitalization on the internationalization capabilities of manufacturing firms

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the impact of digitalization on the internationalisation capabilities of manufacturing firms. In exploring these concepts, the thesis examined the factors that influence manufacturing companies to embrace innovative technologies as they venture into foreign markets and the internationalization process. The case study applied in this project is Haier Group, one of the Chinese companies with a high level of success in applying innovative technologies and the internationalization process. Haier's success story formed a critical basis for examining how manufacturing firms can internationalize by implementing innovative technologies into a multinational corporation that enjoys a significant market share in the global market. The thesis relied on secondary data obtained from online databases and published documents such as Google Scholar, company websites, and e-libraries. The major search terms applied were digitalization, internalization, manufacturing firms, and foreign market entry strategies. A case study design was applied, and the company was chosen using the purposive sampling technique. The case study provided a better understanding of the practical application of innovation and adaptations that a manufacturing company makes to improve its internationalization success. The findings suggested that digitalization is critical for manufacturing companies that expand their operations into global markets. Various factors influence firms’ digitalization processes, and they relate to organizational culture, structure, and the integration of technologies. In manufacturing firms, findings indicate that digitalization helps optimize resources to enhance efficiency while also improving the productivity of employees. Through its network-based model, Haier has overcome significant challenges to successfully internationalize through the aggressive use of innovative technologies, enabling the firm to diversify its brands of smart home living. Therefore, the research concludes that digitalization is the central key to successful internationalization by enhancing a firm's global competitiveness. The findings of the research are consistent with the theoretical framework. For manufacturing firms, digitalization is essential for their successful internationalization, which ultimately leads to an improvement in their global competitiveness

Parikh and Wittgenstein

A survey of Parikh’s philosophical appropriations of Wittgensteinian themes, placed into historical context against the backdrop of Turing’s famous paper, “On computable numbers, with an application to the Entscheidungsproblem” (Turing in Proc Lond Math Soc 2(42): 230–265, 1936/1937) and its connections with Wittgenstein and the foundations of mathematics. Characterizing Parikh’s contributions to the interaction between logic and philosophy at its foundations, we argue that his work gives the lie to recent presentations of Wittgenstein’s so-called metaphilosophy (e.g., Horwich in Wittgenstein’s metaphilosophy. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2012) as a kind of “dead end” quietism. From early work on the idea of a feasibility in arithmetic (Parikh in J Symb Log 36(3):494–508, 1971) and vagueness (Parikh in Logic, language and method. Reidel, Boston, pp 241–261, 1983) to his more recent program in social software (Parikh in Advances in modal logic, vol 2. CSLI Publications, Stanford, pp 381–400, 2001a), Parikh’s work encompasses and touches upon many foundational issues in epistemology, philosophy of logic, philosophy of language, and value theory. But it expresses a unified philosophical point of view. In his most recent work, questions about public and private languages, opportunity spaces, strategic voting, non-monotonic inference and knowledge in literature provide a remarkable series of suggestions about how to present issues of fundamental importance in theoretical computer science as serious philosophical issues