Understanding Human Cognition Through Category Theory
Author Information
Author(s): Steven Phillips, William H. Wilson, Olaf Sporns
Primary Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
Hypothesis
Can category theory provide a complete explanation for the systematicity of human cognition?
Conclusion
The study presents a category-theoretic explanation for systematicity in human cognition, showing that systematicity arises from cognitive architectures based on functors and adjunctions.
Supporting Evidence
- Systematicity is a property of human cognition where having certain cognitive abilities implies having others.
- Category theory provides a framework to explain why cognitive capacities are organized systematically.
- Adjunctions in category theory ensure that cognitive processes are systematically related.
Takeaway
This study explains how our brains organize thinking in a systematic way, using a special kind of math called category theory.
Methodology
The authors use category theory concepts, particularly adjunctions, to explain systematicity in cognitive architecture.
Limitations
The theory may not account for all aspects of cognitive architecture and relies on mathematical constructs that may not have direct neural correlates.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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