Sep 11-15 - Analysis and Synthesis
1. Analysis and Synthesis
• Aristotle and Plato – knowledge is knowledge of what properties are combinations of what (logically) simpler properties:
⇒ Medieval scheme for reason – a reliable method for acquiring knowledge:
• Analysis = the decomposition of complex properties into simpler properties
• Synthesis = the recombination of simpler properties into complex properties
• Ramon Lull’s synthesis machines:
• These devices use symbolization to mechanize combinatorial (in this case, synthetic) reasoning – they are a very simple kind of reasoning machine.
2. Combinatorics = counting possibilities
• TTT p71 Q1-3