Theoretical Entities in Statistical Explanation
Abstract
An information-theoretical analysis of theories having statistical hypotheses and postulated entities is carried out. The analyses show that it is possible to perform analyses that are relevant to evaluating one's state of knowledge when one has statistical knowledge about a system. It is universally recognized that theoretical entities can serve as an heuristic aid in development of new empirical knowledge about a system, and in some cases can provide a substantial simplification in the representation of knowledge. These facts are clarified and specified to some extent by the present analysis. It has been seen that the information transmitted by dependencies between a set of empirical variables and a set of theoretical variables is generally greater than the information transmitted between set of empirical variables, and this fact clarifies the usefulness of postulated entities in guiding empirical investigations. The role of theoretical entities in relation to simplicity is especially striking in nonstationary systems, particularly when the theoretical system has the Markov property.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1970
- Accession Number
- AD0721459
Entities
People
- James G. Greeno
Organizations
- University of Michigan