Events

Thomas Fink (LIMS)

Centre for Theoretical Physics and Astronomy 
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Date: 17 September 2026   Time: 14:00 - 15:00

Location: G. O Jones Building Room 610

Title: Deep-layered machines have a built-in Occam's razor

Abstract:
Many complex systems map vast numbers of microscopic descriptions onto far fewer macroscopic outcomes. Surprisingly, these input-output maps strongly favor simple outputs. We analyze an exactly solvable deep-layered Boolean machine and prove that increasing depth drives the distribution of the output $F$ toward exponential decay in Kolmogorov complexity, $P(F) \propto 2^{-K(F)}$, before ultimately collapsing onto the two constant functions. Our results show that hierarchical composition alone can generate an intrinsic Occam's razor, providing an analytical explanation for simplicity bias in learning and evolution.

Updated by: Kymani Armstrong-Williams