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From: bwk@mbunix.mitre.org (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Elementary AI Philosophy
Summary: Occam's Razor explained.
Keywords: Understanding and Comprehension, Reality and Modeling
Message-ID: <44237@linus.UUCP>
Date: 1 Feb 89 14:50:07 GMT
References: <18464@santra.UUCP> <1241@arctic.nprdc.arpa> <904@ubu.warwick.UUCP> <9423@ihlpb.ATT.COM> <43763@linus.UUCP> <9465@ihlpb.ATT.COM> <526@hotlr.ATT> <733@htsa.uucp>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix.mitre.org (Barry Kort)
Organization: The Gallimaufrey, Atsea, UK
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In article <733@htsa.uucp> fransvo@htsa.UUCP (Frans van Otten) writes:

 > I've seen this name - Occam - several times in this newsgroup. I have not
 > the slightest idea what is meant, what his theories are about, etc. Would
 > anyone care to explain ? Thanks.


Occams' Razor is a principle in the art of theory construction.

Given two competing theories purporting to explain the same
phenomenon, the simpler, more elegant theory is to be preferred.

Examples are the thermodynamic theory of heat over the phlogiston model
and the sun-centered solar system over the epicycles of the earth-centered
model.  

--Barry Kort