The Evolution
15
successful memory is at various intersection tasks, and then infers from
the results what types of links must have been involved; this technique
is treated in the section Link Identification). Each of these techniques
complements the others.
Intersection in Theory
Inasmuch as the various types of intersections have been introduced,
it is now possible to proceed with an analysis of how an optimized memory
can best treat each one. It will in particular be demonstrated that a
memory optimized by evolution for accurate anticipation and disambiguation
can be expected to treat Type III intersections very differently from
Type I and Type II intersections. Attention will in particular be
focused on the mathematics of the Type II and Type III intersections,
inasmuch as the best strategy for memory to use in treating the Type I
intersection is fairly obvious (i.e. memory should always yield that
concept that contains the specified features, and that been observed
most often—hence "bright yellow" is disambiguated as "sun").
Inasmuch as both Type II and Type III intersections use whole-to-whole
links, it is necessary to begin by examining how a set of whole-to-whole
links may be used to store information on what is likely.
Storing Statistical Information
If one assumes that memory evolved so as to maximize its ability to
anticipate, then a concept such as "eggs" should tend to yield that
concept which has in the past occurred most often with it, all other
factors being equal. Accordingly, if the concept "eggs" were to occur,