Exploring Structures of Inferential Mechanisms through Simplistic Digital Circuits

TL;DR

This paper proposes a unifying framework for various inferential mechanisms by modeling them as digital circuits with logic gates, revealing common patterns and dependencies across different reasoning types.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach using electronic circuit models to unify and analyze diverse inferential mechanisms in cognition and AI.

Findings

Identified four main dependency forms in inferential circuits.

Mapped eight common inferential patterns within a unifying framework.

Revealed functional dependencies through a probabilistic interpretation.

Abstract

Cognitive studies and artificial intelligence have developed distinct models for various inferential mechanisms (categorization, induction, abduction, causal inference, contrast, merge, ...). Yet, both natural and artificial views on cognition lack apparently a unifying framework. This paper formulates a speculative answer attempting to respond to this gap. To postulate on higher-level activation processes from a material perspective, we consider inferential mechanisms informed by symbolic AI modelling techniques, through the simplistic lenses of electronic circuits based on logic gates. We observe that a logic gate view entails a different treatment of implication and negation compared to standard logic and logic programming. Then, by combinatorial exploration, we identify four main forms of dependencies that can be realized by these inferential circuits. Looking at how these forms are generally used in the context of logic programs, we identify eight common inferential patterns, exposing traditionally distinct inferential mechanisms in an unifying framework. Finally, following a probabilistic interpretation of logic programs, we unveil inner functional dependencies. The paper concludes elaborating in what sense, even if our arguments are mostly informed by symbolic means and digital systems infrastructures, our observations may pinpoint to more generally applicable structures.