[Inquiry] Re: Introduction to Inquiry Driven Systems

[Jon Awbrey]

o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o

INT.  Note 3

o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o

1.1.  Preliminary Questions

Three questions immediately arise in the connection between inquiry
and computation.  As they reflect on the very idea of inquiry, they
have to do with its integrity, its effectiveness, and its complexity.
These questions ask in their turn whether all such processes that are
dubbed "inquiry" have anything essential in common, whether any useful
parts of these processes can be automated in practice, and just how deep
is the takedown needed to reach the level of routine steps.  The issues
of effectiveness and complexity will be discussed throughout the remainder
of this work, but the problem of integrity must be dealt with immediately,
since doubts about it may interfere with my ability to exercise this title
to "inquiry".

Thus, we must examine the integrity, or well-definedness, of the very idea of
inquiry, that is, "inquiry" as a general concept rather than a catch-all word.
Is the faculty of inquiry a principled capacity, leading to a disciplined form
of conduct, or is it only a disjointed collection of unrelated skills?  As it
is currently being carried out on computers today, inquiry includes everything
from database searches, through dynamic simulation and statistical reasoning,
to mathematical theorem proving.  Insofar as these tasks constitute specialized
efforts, each of them demands software that is tailored to its individual purpose.
Insofar as these different modes of investigation contribute to larger inquiries,
our present methods for coordinating their separate findings are mostly ad hoc
and still a matter of human skill.  Thus, we might question whether the very
name "inquiry" succeeds in referring to a coherent and independent process.

Do all the varieties of inquiry have something in common, a structure or
a function that defines the essence of inquiry itself?  I will say "yes".
One advantage of this answer is that it brings the topic of inquiry within
human scope, and also within my capacity to research.  Without this, the
field of inquiry would be impossible for any one human being to survey,
because a person would have to cover the union of all the areas that
employ inquiry.  By grasping what is shared by all inquiries, I can
focus on the intersection of their generating principles.  Another
benefit of opting for this answer is that it promises a common
medium for inquiry, one in which the many disparate pieces of
our puzzling nature may be bound together in a unified whole.

When I look at other examples of instruments that people have used
to extend their capacities, I see that two questions must be faced.
First, what are the principles that enable human performance?  Second,
what are the principles that can be augmented by available technology?
I will refer to these two issues as the question of original principles
and the question of technical extensions, respectively.  Following this
model leads me to examine the human capacity for inquiry, asking which
of its principles can be reflected in the computational medium, and which
of its faculties can be sharpened in the process.  It is not likely that
everybody with the same interests and applications would answer these
questions the same way, but I will describe how I approach them, what
has resulted so far, and what directions I plan to explore next.

Jon Awbrey

o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~~~o