A New Solution to the Puzzle of Simplicity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10705331 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kevin T Kelly (Carnegie Mellon University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2007 |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 561-573 |
| Publication date | 2007-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0031-8248 • E-ISSN: 1539-767X |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1086/525604 |
| OpenAlex | W2169921136 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 15 |
| References cited | 19 |
Explaining the connection, if any, between simplicity and truth is among the deepest problems facing the philosophy of science, statistics, and machine learning. Say that an efficient truth finding method minimizes worst case costs en route to converging to the true answer to a theory choice problem. Let the costs considered include the number of times a false answer is selected, the number of times opinion is reversed, and the times at which the reversals occur. It is demonstrated that (1) always choosing the simplest theory compatible with experience, and (2) hanging onto it while it remains simplest, is both necessary and sufficient for efficiency
Calculus (dental) · Connection (principal bundle) · Epistemology · Mathematical economics · Philosophy of science · Simple (philosophy) · Simplicity · Biomedical Text Mining and Ontologies · Computability, Logic, AI Algorithms · Computer Science · Mathematics · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science
Ockham's Razors
Is Simplicity that Simple? An Assessment of Richard Swinburne’s Argument from Cosmic Fine-Tuning
In defense of epicycles
An argument for ontological nihilism
Ontologically simple theories do not indicate the true nature of complex biological systems
Philosophy and the Precautionary Principle
Epistemic Values and the Argument from Inductive Risk
Accepting an Epistemically Inferior Alternative? A Comment on Elliott and McKaughan
Dynamic and stochastic systems as a framework for metaphysics and the philosophy of science
Underdetermination, methodological practices, and realism
Why it doesn’t matter whether the virtues are truth-conducive
Experiment and Animal Minds
Why Simpler Computer Simulation Models Can Be Epistemically Better for Informing Decisions
Kelly on Ockham’s Razor and Truth-Finding Efficiency
Pragmatic encroachment in epistemology
The structure of empirical knowledge
Causation, Prediction, and Search
Causation, Prediction, and Search
The Foundations Of Scientific Inference
Information Theory and an Extension of the Maximum Likelihood Principle
Language identification in the limit
The Logic of Scientific Discovery
Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Science
Classical Descriptive Set Theory
Philosophy of Science Naturalized
The Inference to the Best Explanation
How to Tell When Simpler, More Unified, or Less Ad Hoc Theories will Provide More Accurate Predictions
Means-Ends Epistemology
Inferring Conservation Laws in Particle Physics
Fact, fiction, and forecast
The scientific image
| Unique citing works | 15 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,94 |
| Citation span | 2010 - 2024 (15) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 15 |