The Sciences of the Artificial, reissue of the third edition with a new introduction by John Laird (Mit Press) - Softcover

Simon, Herbert A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0262537532 ISBN 13: 9780262537537

Publisher: The MIT Press, 2019

Synopsis

Herbert Simon's classic work on artificial intelligence in the expanded and updated third edition from 1996, with a new introduction by John E. Laird.

Herbert Simon's classic and influential The Sciences of the Artificial declares definitively that there can be a science not only of natural phenomena but also of what is artificial. Exploring the commonalities of artificial systems, including economic systems, the business firm, artificial intelligence, complex engineering projects, and social plans, Simon argues that designed systems are a valid field of study, and he proposes a science of design. For this third edition, originally published in 1996, Simon added new material that takes into account advances in cognitive psychology and the science of design while confirming and extending the book's basic thesis: that a physical symbol system has the necessary and sufficient means for intelligent action.

Simon won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1978 for his research into the decision-making process within economic organizations and the Turing Award (considered by some the computer science equivalent to the Nobel) with Allen Newell in 1975 for contributions to artificial intelligence, the psychology of human cognition, and list processing. The Sciences of the Artificial distills the essence of Simon's thought accessibly and coherently. This reissue of the third edition makes a pioneering work available to a new audience.

About this title

About the Author

Herbert A. Simon (1916–2001) was an influential psychologist and political scientist, awarded the 1978 Nobel Prize in Economics and the 1975 Turing Award (with Allen Newell). His many published books include Models of Bounded Rationality and Models of My Life (both published by the MIT Press)..

John E. Laird is John L. Tishman Professor of Engineering in the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Michigan.

Review

"If one were to read a single book that would encompass the essential Simon, I would suggest the slim volume The Sciences of the Artificial, written for a broad scientific audience. In an elegant and lucid way, Simon explains the principles of modeling complex systems, particularly the human information-processing system that we call the mind."

―Edward A. Feigenbaum, Science

Edition details

• Publisher: The MIT Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 0262537532
• ISBN 13: 9780262537537
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256