Algorithmic Rationality or can animals be rational
Rohit Parikh: Ph.D. (Mathematics, Harvard 1962), A.B. (Magna with highest honors in Physics, Harvard 1957), Putnam prize winner: 1955, 1956, 1957. William Lowell Putnam Fellow: 1957. Phi Beta Kappa, Harvard 1957.
Research interests in chronological order: Formal languages, Recursive function theory, Proof theory, Non-standard analysis, Logic of programs, Logic of knowledge, Philosophy of Language, Belief revision, Social software and Game theory.
Current interests are in Reasoning about Knowledge, Belief Revision, Game Theory, and Philosophy of Language. Previous work was on Recursive Function Theory, Proof Theory, Formal Languages, Nonstandard Analysis and Dynamic Logic.
The notion of rationality is much discussed by both Economists and Philosophers. Perhaps you are rational if you accept certain axioms of rationality. If you prefer A to B and B to C then you must prefer A to C. Or you can define rationality in terms of the net results of your behavior. We examine a notion of algorithmic rationality. Even animals upwards from the humble tick carry out algorithms. Are they rational? And can we use this theory to define the IQ of animals?
