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From: jj@alice.UUCP
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Subject: Re: Defining the Analog/Digital Distinction
Message-ID: <6212@alice.uUCp>
Date: Mon, 27-Oct-86 10:29:01 EST
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Posted: Mon Oct 27 10:29:01 1986
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> From allegra!princeton!mind!harnad Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969
> 
> 
> Tom Dietterich (orstcs!tgd) responds as follows to my challenge to
> define the A/D distinction:
> 
> >	In any representation, certain properties of the representational
> >	...
> >	of a sound.
> 
> So far so good. Analog representations "exploit" more of the properties 
> ...
> for whom?)
> 
> >	A related notion of digital and analog can be obtained by considering
> >	...
> >	changed under ANY addition of voltage.
> 
> "Preserving information under transformations" also sounds like a good
> ...
> representation and a symbolic representation?
> 
> Please keep those definitions coming.
> 
> Stevan Harnad

What a pleasant little bit of sophistry.  Mr. Harnad asks for a defination
of "digital" and "analog", both words used in a precise way in a particular
literature.  He also asks that we do not use other words used in that literature
to write the defination.  

In other words, we are asked to define something precisely, in a languange
that does not have precise values.


I suggest the first chapter of Rabiner and Gold, all of Wozencraft and Jacobs,
and perhaps a good general text on signal processing for starters.  That will
define the language.  Then the defination can be made.

Philosophy is wonderful, it doesn't have to have anything to do
with reality.
-- 
WOBEGON WON'T BE GONE, TEDDY BEAR PICNIC AT 11.
"If you love that Politician, use your Loo, use your Loo"

(ihnp4;allegra;research)!alice!jj