2022, Inglese, Terry, Fässler, Lukas, Christen, Patrik, Wang, Shui-Hua, Zhang, Yu-Dong

2022, Christen, Patrik, Del Fabbro, Olivier

We recently presented the so-called allagmatic method, which includes a system metamodel providing a framework for describing, modelling, simulating, and interpreting complex systems. Its development and programming was guided by philosophy, especially by Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy of individuation, Alfred North Whitehead’s philosophy of organism, and concepts from cybernetics. Here, a mathematical formalism is presented to better describe and define the system metamodel of the allagmatic method, thereby further generalising it and extending its reach to a more formal treatment and allowing more theoretical studies. By using the formalism, an example for such a further study is provided with mathematical definitions and proofs for model creation and equivalence of cellular automata and artificial neural networks.

2021, Christen, Patrik

Having a model and being able to implement open-ended evo- lutionary systems is important for advancing our understanding of open-endedness. Complex systems science and newest generation high-level programming languages provide in-triguing possibilities to do so, respectively. Here, some recent advances in modelling and implementing open-ended evolutionary systems are reviewed first. Then, the so-called allag- matic method to describe, model, implement, and interpret complex systems is introduced. After highlighting some cur- rent modelling and implementation challenges, model building blocks of open-ended evolutionary systems are identified, a system metamodel of open-ended evolution is formalised in the allagmatic method, and an implementation prototype with a high-level programming language is outlined. The proposed approach shows statistical characteristics of open-ended evo- lutionary systems and provides a promising starting point to interpret novelty generated at runtime.

2020, Christen, Patrik, Inglese, Terry

Due to COVID-19, universities, higher education institutions, and schools all around the world had to shut down their on-site activities during the rst semester of the academic year 2020 and teaching had to continue in an entirely virtual setting, either asynchronously or synchronously, or in a blended learning style. Several instructors were not fully prepared to teach online and a fast adaptation to the new and unusual circumstances was needed. While this unfamiliar situation has brought technical and especially educational hurdles, instructors are currently preparing for the second semester 2020 with a new awareness, taking into account lessons learnt from the previous semester. In this abstract, we outline our instructional concept for virtually teaching a one-semester linear algebra course in the BSc program Business Information Technology at FHNW in Switzerland. Students of this study program are likely to hold management positions working at the intersection between business and IT, where it is essential to conceptually understand mathematical methods and concepts, and apply these in dynamic business projects, often involving artificial intelligence.

2022, Christen, Patrik

Self-modifying code has many intriguing applications in a broad range of fields including software security, artificial general intelligence, and open-ended evolution. Having control over self-modifying code, however, is still an open challenge since it is a balancing act between providing as much freedom as possible so as not to limit possible solutions, while at the same time imposing restriction to avoid security issues and invalid code or solutions. In the present study, I provide a prototype implementation of how one might curb self-modifying code by introducing control mechanisms for code modifications within specific regions and for specific transitions between code and data. I show that this is possible to achieve with the so-called allagmatic method - a framework to formalise, model, implement, and interpret complex systems inspired by Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy of individuation and Alfred North Whitehead’s philosophy of organism. Thereby, the allagmatic method serves as guidance for self-modification based on concepts defined in a metaphysical framework. I conclude that the allagmatic method seems to be a suitable framework for control mechanisms in self-modifying code and that there are intriguing analogies between the presented control mechanisms and gene regulation.

2022, Del Fabbro, Olivier, Christen, Patrik

2020, Christen, Patrik, Del Fabbro, Olivier, Dornberger, Rolf

2022, Christen, Patrik

2021, Zhang, Jiajun, Wang, Yujia, Cheng, Ka-lo, Cheuk, Kayee, Lam, Tsz-ping, Hung, Alec L.H., Cheng,  Jack Chun-Yiu, Qiu, Yong, Müller, Ralph, Christen, Patrik, Lee,  Yuk-Wai Wayne

2020, Del Fabbro, Olivier, Christen, Patrik