arXiv subjects

Steven Meyer

Publications and source records attributed to Steven Meyer.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2020

John von Neumann's 1950s Change to Philosopher of Computation

John von Neumann's transformation from a logician of quantum mechanics (QM) in the 1920s to a natural philosopher of computation in the 1950s is discussed. The paper argues for revision of the historical image of Neumann to portray his change to an anti formalist philosopher of computation. Neumann abandoned Hilbert's programme that knowledge could be expressed as logical predicates. The change is described by relating Neumann's criticism of Carnap's logicism and by discussing Neumann's rejection of the Turing Machine model of computation. Probably under the influence of the founders of modern physics in particular Wolfgang Pauli and Werner Heisenberg at the Advanced Study Institute, Neumann changed to a natural philosopher of computation. Neumann's writings from his development of the now almost universal von Neumann computer architecture are discussed to show his 1950s view of algorithms as physicalized entities. The paper concludes by quoting Neumann's statements criticizing mechanistic evolution and criticizing neural networks.

physics.hist-ph↗

arXiv2020

A Popperian Falsification of Artificial Intelligence -- Lighthill Defended

The area of computation called artificial intelligence (AI) is falsified by describing a previous 1972 falsification of AI by British mathematical physicist James Lighthill. How Lighthill's arguments continue to apply to current AI is explained. It is argued that AI should use the Popperian scientific method in which it is the duty of scientists to attempt to falsify theories and if theories are falsified to replace or modify them. The paper describes the Popperian method and discusses Paul Nurse's application of the method to cell biology that also involves questions of mechanism and behavior. It is shown how Lighthill's falsifying arguments especially combinatorial explosion continue to apply to modern AI. Various skeptical arguments against the assumptions of AI mostly by physicists especially against Hilbert's philosophical programme that defined knowledge and truth as provable formal sentences. John von Neumann's arguments from natural complexity against neural networks and evolutionary algorithms are discussed. Next the game of chess is discussed to show how modern chess experts have reacted to computer chess programs. It is shown that currently chess masters can defeat any chess program using Kasperov's arguments from his 1997 Deep Blue match and aftermath. The game of 'go' and climate models are discussed to show computer applications where combinatorial explosion may not apply. The paper concludes by advocating studying computation as Peter Naur's Dataology.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2018

CVC Verilog Compiler -- Fast Complex Language Compilers Can be Simple

This paper explains how to develop Verilog hardware description language (HDL) optimized flow graph compiled simulators. It is claimed that the methods and algorithms described here can be applied in the development of flow graph compilers for other complex computer languages. The method uses the von Neumann computer architecture (MRAM model) as the best abstract model of computation and uses comparison and selection of alternative machine code sequences to utilize modern processor low level parallelism. By using the anti formalist method described here, the fastest available full IEEE 1364 2005 Verilog HDL standard simulators has been developed. The compiler only required 95,000 lines of C code and two developers. This paper explains how such a compiled simulator validates the anti-formalism computer science methodology best expressed by Peter Naur's datalogy and provides specific guidelines for applying the method. Development history from a slow interpreter into a fast flow graph based machine code compiled simulator is described. The failure of initial efforts that tried to convert a full 1364 compliant interpreter into interpreted execution of possibly auto generated virtual machines is discussed. The argument that fast Verilog simulation requires detail removing abstraction is shown to be incorrect. Reasons parallel GPU Verilog simulation has not succeeded are given.

cs.PL↗

arXiv2016

Philosophical Solution to P=?NP: P is Equal to NP

The P=?NP problem is philosophically solved by showing P is equal to NP in the random access with unit multiply (MRAM) model. It is shown that the MRAM model empirically best models computation hardness. The P=?NP problem is shown to be a scientific rather than a mathematical problem. The assumptions involved in the current definition of the P?=NP problem as a problem involving non deterministic Turing Machines (NDTMs) from axiomatic automata theory are criticized. The problem is also shown to be neither a problem in pure nor applied mathematics. The details of The MRAM model and the well known Hartmanis and Simon construction that shows how to code and simulate NDTMs on MRAM machines is described. Since the computation power of MRAMs is the same as NDTMs, P is equal to NP. The paper shows that the justification for the NDTM P?=NP problem using a letter from Kurt Godel to John Von Neumann is incorrect by showing Von Neumann explicitly rejected automata models of computation hardness and used his computer architecture for modeling computation that is exactly the MRAM model. The paper argues that Deolalikar's scientific solution showing P not equal to NP if assumptions from statistical physics are used, needs to be revisited.

cs.GL↗

arXiv2011

Breaking GSM with rainbow Tables

Since 1998 the GSM security has been academically broken but no real attack has ever been done until in 2008 when two engineers of Pico Computing (FPGA manufacture) revealed that they could break the GSM encryption in 30 seconds with 200'000$ hardware and precomputed rainbow tables. Since then the hardware was either available for rich people only or was confiscated by government agencies. So Chris Paget and Karsten Nohl decided to react and do the same thing but in a distributed open source form (on torrent). This way everybody could "enjoy" breaking GSM security and operators will be forced to upgrade the GSM protocol that is being used by more than 4 billion users and that is more than 20 years old.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2011

Selling train tickets by SMS

Selling train tickets has evolved in the last ten years from queuing in the railway station, to buying tickets on the internet and printing them. Both alternatives are still viable options, though they are time consuming or need printing devices. Nowadays it is essential to offer a service that is as fast and efficient as possible: mobile phones provide an accessible, affordable and widely available tool for supplying information and transferring data. The goal of this project is to design a train ticket contained in a SMS message. While there are several challenges related to the project, the main one is the security and how we can digitally sign a train ticket that is contained in 160 characters. The solution offered in this project is the implementation of the MOVA Signature (from the name of the inventors MOnnerat and VAudenay) that uses an interactive verification and therefore allows signature of 20 bits (roughly 4 characters).

cs.CR↗

arXiv2011

Misbehavior in Mobile Application Markets

Mobile application markets facilitate the distribution of applications and thus help developers advertise their work and customers find useful applications. In addition, the operators of mobile application markets can control the quality and the content of the applications. These markets are growing rapidly with more than 300'000 application in the App Store of Apple and more than 100'000 in the Android Market of Google. This is not only a great opportunity for phone manufacturers to earn money but also for indie developers (single or small teams of developers with small financial support) who can thus have a great distribution channel. Steve Demeter, the Trim game developer for iPhone, became millionaire with a single puzzle game . Obviously, as new markets generate a lot of money, the temptation of misbehavior to steal part of the benefits is big. The first famous case was the one of Molinker who self-rated his applications with 5 stars to pump up his ranking in order to increase its revenue stream. In this report, we will consider the problem of misbehavior in mobile application markets. We will investigate multiple attacks by misbehaving developers, users or network operators that aim at breaking rules for their own benefit, managing to outwit the operators' control on which applications can be installed. We notably suggest novel attacks that may affect mobile markets in the future: in particular, we show that it is possible to get revenue for applications created by someone else, trick a user to download and buy an application and new ways to pump up an application's ranking. We will also discuss possible solutions against spyware applications and cheating developer

cs.CR↗