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Why Kolmogorov Complexity?

  • Chapter
Complex Systems

Part of the book series: Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems ((NOPH,volume 6))

Abstract

Could the complexity of a thing be measured by a number? Is it necessary for the theory of information to be based on the concepts of theory of probability? Is it possible to partition the set of infinite binary strings into two subsets, namely, the subset of random strings and the other of non-random ones? The goal of this paper is to present the answers to the above questions which are provided by the Kolmogorov theory. The basic preliminaries from the theory of computability needed for this paper are listed in the Appendix.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematical Logic and Theory of Algorithms Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, Lomonosov State University of Moscow, 119899, Moscow, Russia

    Vladimir A. Uspensky

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  1. Vladimir A. Uspensky
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematical Engineering, Faculty of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile

    Eric Goles  & Servet Martínez  & 

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Uspensky, V.A. (2001). Why Kolmogorov Complexity?. In: Goles, E., Martínez, S. (eds) Complex Systems. Nonlinear Phenomena and Complex Systems, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0920-1_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0920-1_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-3817-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0920-1

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