Emergence_and_PID____PTRSA (2)[51].pdf (4.33 MB)
Greater than the parts: a review of the information decomposition approach to causal emergence
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-10, 02:34 authored by Pedro A M Mediano, Fernando E Rosas, Andrea I Luppi, Henrik J Jensen, Anil SethAnil Seth, Adam BarrettAdam Barrett, Robin L Carhart-Harris, Daniel BorEmergence is a profound subject that straddles many scientific disciplines, including the formation of galaxies and how consciousness arises from the collective activity of neurons. Despite the broad interest that exists on this concept, the study of emergence has suffered from a lack of formalisms that could be used to guide discussions and advance theories. Here we summarise, elaborate on, and extend a recent formal theory of causal emergence based on information decomposition, which is quantifiable and amenable to empirical testing. This theory relates emergence with information about a system’s temporal evolution that cannot be obtained from the parts of the system separately. This article provides an accessible but rigorous introduction to the framework, discussing the merits of the approach in various scenarios of interest. We also discuss several interpretation issues and potential misunderstandings, while highlighting the distinctive benefits of this formalism.
Funding
Azrieli Program in Brain, Mind and Consciousness - Senior Fellowship; G2112; CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH; FL-000316
The Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science 2019-2021 Leading-edge consciousness science and its application to psychological and neurological health; G2608; SACKLER-DR MORTIMER AND THERESA SACKLER FOUNDATION
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering SciencesISSN
1364-503XPublisher
The Royal SocietyExternal DOI
Issue
2227Volume
380Department affiliated with
- Informatics Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2022-02-09First Open Access (FOA) Date
2022-02-09First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2022-02-08Usage metrics
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