Conceptual Spaces: The Geometry of Thought - Hardcover

Peter Gärdenfors

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0262071991 ISBN 13: 9780262071994

Publisher: Bradford Books, 2000

Synopsis

Within cognitive science, two approaches currently dominate the problem of modeling representations. The symbolic approach views cognition as computation involving symbolic manipulation. Connectionism, a special case of associationism, models associations using artificial neuron networks. Peter Gardenfors offers his theory of conceptual representations as a bridge between the symbolic and connectionist approaches.

Symbolic representation is particularly weak at modeling concept learning, which is paramount for understanding many cognitive phenomena. Concept learning is closely tied to the notion of similarity, which is also poorly served by the symbolic approach. Gardenfors's theory of conceptual spaces presents a framework for representing information on the conceptual level. A conceptual space is built up from geometrical structures based on a number of quality dimensions. The main applications of the theory are on the constructive side of cognitive science: as a constructive model the theory can be applied to the development of artificial systems capable of solving cognitive tasks. Gardenfors also shows how conceptual spaces can serve as an explanatory framework for a number of empirical theories, in particular those concerning concept formation, induction, and semantics. His aim is to present a coherent research program that can be used as a basis for more detailed investigations.

About this title

About the Author:

Peter Gärdenfors is Professor of Cognitive Science at Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Review:

"This is a fearless book that casts a wide net around key issues in cognitive science. It offers the kind of coherent, unified view that the field badly needs." - Steven Sloman, Associate Professor, Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences, Brown University"

About this edition

• Publisher: Bradford Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0262071991
• ISBN 13: 9780262071994
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 317