Probably Approximately Correct

Probably Approximately Correct


From a leading computer scientist, a grand unifying theory that will revolutionize our understanding of how life evolves and learns, and hence what life is.



The key is “probably approximately correct” algorithms, a concept Valiant developed to explain how effective behavior can be learned. The model shows that pragmatically coping with a problem can provide a satisfactory solution in the absence of any theory of the problem. After all, finding a mate does not require a theory of mating. Valiant’s theory reveals the shared computational nature of evolution and learning, and sheds light on perennial questions such as nature versus nurture and the limits of artificial intelligence.

Valiant provides a new perspective on human nature as a product of evolution and adaptation. If, as human beings, we are shaped entirely by evolution before conception and learning afterwards, then all our characteristics, whether biological or psychological, will have been determined by adaptive mechanisms.This topic is perfect for any essay.

Offering a powerful and elegant model that encompasses life’s complexity, Probably Approximately Correct has profound implications for how we think about behavior, cognition, biological evolution, and the possibilities and limits of human and machine intelligence.

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