Theoretical Computing Machines: A Systemic Approach

This paper deals with theoretical computing machine models from a systemic perspective, that is, from the point of view of systems operating in interaction with environments. Turing machine models are shown to operate as closed systems while they are computing, while von Neumann computers are shown to operate as open systems, in what regards the exchange of information with the environment. von Neumann machines are shown to be interactive computing machines, while Turing machines are shown to be non-interactive. Interactive computing machine models of kinds more general than that of von Neumann are considered, namely, machine models where not only information but also energy and matter are exchanged with the environment, during the computation processes: robots are shown to be such interactive computing machine models. Developmental processes are, then, argued to be the type of computation processes that is specific to robots and, at the same time, the most general thinkable type of systemic computation processes.